Journal #6

"Social Justice: Choice or Necessity" By Colleen Swain and David Edyburn

How are students affected by the personal decisions their teachers make regarding when and how to use technology inside the classroom? In this article Swain and Edyburn say that students are greatly affected by these decisions. When teachers decide not to use technology in the classroom or in lesson plans students are disadvantaged. Nowadays students must not only have access to technology, but they have to be technologically fluent. Universities are making admission standards more complicated and students who are admitted but are not familiar with technology are at a decided disadvantage. Many jobs are now requiring employees to be technologically fluent in order to be successful. The number of classrooms that have computers in them is growing, though there are some classrooms that have no or limited access. This article goes over some ways to gain access and also how to locate resources for using this technology effectively. Swain and Edyburn state that teachers can influence the gap in the digital divide. If instructional technology is used in the classrooms as a means for social justice then students will have a different educational experience.

Questions…
1. How can I assure that my students are getting an education which is up to par with technology standards?
One way I can be sure that my students are receiving a proper education, from a technology standpoint, is to review the NETS standards and design lesson plans which use them. This should provide my students a level of technology understanding that is acceptable by national standards.

2. What resources are available to me, as a physical education teacher, to provide a lesson which is “technology-rich”?
Even though I will be in the physical education field, I think that I can give students homework assignments which require research on the internet (for example, on sports or health-related topics). The school’s computer lab can be used to complete this work. Also, I believe that schools will allow me access to digital still and/or video cameras to record student progress.

Journal #7

"Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom" By Elizabeth Ross Hubbell

There have been many articles that have shown how important technology is in the world of education. Most of these articles though are not focused towards very young children. This is a controversial issue and some feel that technology should not be used with this age group and could lead to hyperactivity or physical impairment. Those that support the use of technology for young children feel that technology should be used alongside a variety of learning experiences and that it will help early learners to communicate, practice skills, and better understand concepts in a growing world filled with technology. In this article Hubbell provides some great ideas and websites that teachers can use to help their young students to engage in critical thinking activities and practice basic skills. Hubbell provides examples of great websites that can be used for identifying similarities and differences, homework and practice, and generating and testing hypotheses. Some of those websites include Kidspiration, Create A Graph Website from the National Center for Education Statistics, and Vernier.

Questions…
1. What is an example of a website that I can use which is both, tailored to physical education/health, and tailored to young children?
www.sciencenetlinks.com provides many fun, interactive resources which promote learning and science (including health topics). I found this website through another assignment, and I saw a whole bunch of activities which are related to health, and appropriate for young children.

2. What are some benefits of using technology in physical education class, with young children?
I think that the use of technology not only allows the students to become familiar with technology, but it also makes the learning more interactive and fun. I think a simple running exercise can be enhanced through the use of digital cameras. I think the young students would find it fun to watch themselves during these exercises.

Journal #8

"Virtual Schooling" By Niki Davis and Dale S. Niederhauser

Virtual Schooling, which includes K-12 courses that are offered in online learning environments, is becoming more and more popular in education systems throughout the United States (especially at the high school level). Many students are now choosing this option because classes they need are not available, they want to gain access to advance placement options, it’s flexible, makes possible credit recoveries, and it can serve as an opportunity for students who are displaced. Virtual Schooling is similar to the traditional classroom in the sense that there are groups of students and a teacher. Rather than meeting in a traditional classroom, the teacher and students communicate through digital technologies. As Davis and Niederhauser explain in this article, there are many roles and responsibilities of virtual schooling. The three main roles are the teacher, designer and the virtual schooling site facilitator. One of the current challenges in U.S. education is to prepare teachers for virtual schooling. Someday every teacher may have a role to play in the facilitation of virtual schooling.

Questions…
1. What are some ways in which virtual schooling can be applied to learning physical education?
I think that students can still complete work related to physical education in a virtual learning environment. There is a lot of “book-learning” (for instance, related to muscle groups, body-systems, etc) that can be taught remotely. These lessons can be taught in addition to the student participating in local, outside sports teams and other physical activities.

2. What are some issues that students are could be faced with in a virtual schooling environment?
It’s very important for students to interact with each other. They need to be in social environments, be outside, and be active in order to live healthy lives. Students sitting at the computer won’t get many of these, so I think that the virtual classes definitely need to be complemented with other activities.

Journal #9

"Activating Your School: Movement-Oriented Learning" By Pete Rognli

Welcome to the School of the Future! The concept behind this idea it that students are simultaneously physically and cognitively active. The project ran in March of last year and was very successful. One school in Minnesota is trying to embed physical activity into every aspect of the day, not just recess. Teachers can podcast assignments and students have the freedom to work at laptops at standing desks, crouch on the floor, sit, squat, or stand anywhere that suits the lesson. Students can also write reports on wireless iBooks and can receive podcasted lessons while walking laps. In this article, Rognli explains how The School of the Future began and the support it needs from parents, teachers and other school staff to keep it successful. The main idea is to keep students moving by using technology. Though technology is important, it is not imperative. Schools do not need fancy technologies to place movement into their educational environment. They need to make major changes that bring physical education out of the gym. Rognli explains that the main point of this concept is to find a common area between physical and cognitive learning.

Questions…
1. What are some ways I can keep my students moving, outside of my physical education classes?
I think that using technologies such as podcasts, wireless networks, etc, there are many opportunities available to promote an active lifestyle while learning. I think that I can give my students creative ideas of how to be physically active while working on homework in different subject areas. I could also provide ideas/alternative ideas in which students can be active while doing things at home. For example, instead of playing a video game at home that leaves a student sedentary, they could play the video game which requires dancing.

2. What can I do to promote the change necessary to achieve goals that The School of the Future is trying to achieve?
I think that I can be vocal with other teachers, in expressing how important it is to keep the students physically active, and how beneficial it can be to do so. I think that teachers are very open-minded on topics related to the health of students, and will be open to change if it’s for the best interest of the children.