In this edition of Technology and Physical Education I would like to discuss, "How to upgrade USB ports." Send me information, questions or problems you are having, and as always I will try to help you find answers.

Michael Dumin
Technology Section Editor

Term: Universal Serial Bus (USB)

In October I discussed the changes in portable storage with personal computers (PCs). With a new computer the choice of storage will often come down to a CD, a DVD, or a Flash drive connected to the USB port.

I got my daughter a laptop for Christmas, and there were just 2 USB ports on her machine. I am using a tablet PC and it is limited to 2 ports also. My desktop has 4 ports, but with a scanner, printer, and Zip drive connected to the ports, I have one port free for either a flash drive or to connect my camera.

There are a couple of options available to expand the number, and maybe speed, of your USB ports. The easiest upgrade is to plug a hub into a USB port, and you have more ports available. Harder would be to install a new USB expansion card. I want to talk about how to do each, and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The simplest method is to add a new hub to your current USB port. Hubs may require their own power source if you are using it to drive cameras or external drives. If you have an older USB 1.1 port, that works at 12 Mbps, you will not gain faster speed by using a 2.0 USB hub that can handle speeds up to 480 Mbps. The two standards are compatible so you will not have to worry about this. You will only operate at the speed of the slowest part of the system. You may need to install drives for the hub depending on your operating system.

So, the advantages are that you can have more ports easily, and you can have a port at a convenient location. The disadvantages are that you can not gain speed, and you may need an additional power source. These can be found in many stores for $20 to $30.

Installing an expansion card lets you get USB 2.0 speed, and add 4 to 6 ports. Cards draw power from the motherboards power supply, so if you have an expansion slot available and your current ports are 1.1, this makes the most sense.

To install you will have to turn off your power, open your computer case, find an open PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slot, gently insert the card into the slot, and secure the card. Put the cover back on, but you may want to wait to secure the cover after making sure everything works. Boot your computer, and install any drivers needed based on your operating system.

The advantages are that this is a way to upgrade your USB speed. The disadvantages are that it's a more complex process and may not be available for laptop systems. New cards will probably run from $40 to $50 for a 4 to 6 slot card.

Once the new port is available, you will want to check for conflicts by adding and checking each device one at a time. This is a good upgrade if you need new or more USB ports. As you acquire more devices, this becomes more necessary.

February is the month for Valentines Day and Heart Month. This may be a month that you might do a Parents Night Program on the Heart. You can get some good ideas for a program at PE Central. If you search PE Central using healthy heart you will get many other ideas. There are ideas for paper and pencil assessments, commitment cards to do something good for your heart, and many other ideas for helping plan activities for your heart.

You can go to www.healthfinder.gov for links to many sites related to health and the heart. One of the news sources it linked to, as I write this, is a discussion of children at risk of heart disease. There is a link to health check ups. Under H you will find a Heart Healthy Workout quiz. There is some great information available.

    

Another technical site is the National Lipid Education Council. This is a great site to get PowerPoint slides related to heart health.

The other "must read" site, that I always mention, is the National Institute of Health. The new dietary guidelines are out, with the graphic to follow shortly. This is good news; the exercise recommendation is now up from 30 minutes to 90 minutes a day. We have known that daily exercise is important; this is more support for that view.

The Heart Health Analyzer is a low cost/risk analysis program. Their website has a couple of handy tools: BMI, Waist to Hip Ratio calculator and explanations, heart health tips, and other information. Family Doctor has many good articles on health and the heart.

Discovery School has a whole area of health lessons. There is a nice one on Here’s to your Healthy heart. Their lessons are available with objectives related to academic standards.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has a lot of great information. Obesity and physical activity is one of their topic areas.

Healthy Heart Guide has some easy-to-understand articles on the heart, as well as information on Wellness and Exercise.

HealthyFrig.org has ideas on good eating, as the title suggests. There are special parts just for kids.

The Franklin Institute Online has a section on the heart, with great information.

From Berrien County Intermediate School District

Wordprocessing Software
	Have students write stories, essays, or reports about famous sports people or other physical education topics.
Spreadsheet and Database Software
	Using a spreadsheet program, have students graph their own heart rates, running times, and other personal data to compare week by week and improve their health and performance.
Desktop Publishing and Graphic/Paint/Draw Software
	Using a desktop publishing program, have students create a poster advertising a game or fitness principle.
	Have students use a paint, draw, or graphics program to draw strategy plans for games such as football or basketball and then try them on the field or court.
Multimedia software such as PowerPoint, HyperStudio, or Web pages
	Students use HyperStudio (or other multimedia program) to create a fitness plan to advertise and/or implement.
	Have students create a short video showing steps in a skill or teaching a skill.
	Have students create multimedia presentations on information they have found such as information on the Olympic competitors for this year and previous years. Or the Olympic competitors from Michigan.
	Have students create multimedia presentations on how to play a game and the rules involved.

A Food Pyramid Activity: Grades 1-6. Integrates math, technology and health. Students review information on the food pyramid, either in printed works or on the Internet, to learn more about healthy eating habits.

From Comm Tech Lab at Michigan State University. Integrates PE, Science, and Technology.

Heart Rate Project:
Lesson One: Classroom Heart Rates: Students will check and record heart-rates of other classmates. They will then compare and design questions to explain the differences in their findings.

Lesson Two: Local Heart Rates: Students will determine the type of data needed to test their inferences from lesson one. As homework, they will check and record heart rates of fellow students, teachers and family members.

Lesson Three: Collaboration on the Internet: Students will work collaboratively, via the Internet, with another class/school/country, to share and analyze data. They will interact with another class to construct a reasonable explanation for the evidence they have gathered.

Lesson Four: Research and Report: Students will use the internet, and other resources, to locate, read, and summarize information relevant to the Heart.

Lesson Five: Application: Based on their conclusions and research, the students will give an oral presentation that applies their findings to a lifestyle change.