kwl

I am a multimedia, photographer, dj, photoshop, tekkie.  I know how to work programs and produce an output.  I know my way around a computer.  I know how to create.

I wanted to know how to incorporate this better into my health and even my pe curriculum.

I learned I was only on one level of creating.  This class has opened me up to more than just clips from YouTube and handwritten Journals!  I learned to create environments and push the envelope on where my kids will go in the future.  I am excited to continue to work on my wiki I started for my final project.  I cant wait to be more skilled in designing and structuring it.  I think the kids will be totally into learning on their terms.  I am excited to be able to spend some extra one on one time with my students who tend to fall behind.  


Thanks for such an awesome class.  Everyone has shared so much and hopefully we all have learned a little from each other! 

WEBINAR

I had to take a webinar for IMPACT Certification.  IMPACT stands for Increased Mastery and Professional Application of Coaching Theory.  This was a two day webinar that was offered/required through USA Volleyball and I had to pass to have coaching eligibilities.  Some of the class was boring, but other areas sparked good questions and conversations in the sidebar.  There were a few main speakers during the webinar and it was hosted by the head of our region, Jimmy Peden.


This is the second time I have taken IMPACT, but was my first experience on Webinar.  I liked that I could be at home, doing whatever I wanted, wearing whatever I wanted and commenting whenever I wanted.  Some of the topics included: Coaching Principles/Foundations, Motor Skill Learning Theory, Communication and Feedback, Ethic and Legal Duties, Fundamental Skills, basic Games and Drills, brief overview of Offensive/Defensive Organization of systems, brief overview of Practice and Drill design.


My favorite part of these clinics is learning new phrases and wording that may help a player who just doesn't get it the way I say it.  It also talks about some motivation and expectation techniques.  

Pay Attention

I love this video. I think it wraps all of my thoughts and ideas into a short, digital, summary. My hope is that our school can continue to move forward with technology equipment and professional development. I have already approached the admin a few times about this issue. They are well aware of it and are on our side. Hopefully the board can budget this into our new site.

I like this video because it shows you how simple this can be. Texting is just one basic way that we can use technology in our classrooms and engage our students. I would say that 95% of my eighth grade students had a cell phone.

I am definitely looking forward to doing some sort of wiki or blog with them this year. Hopefully if it goes well in 8th grade, I can move it into my 7th and 6th grade classes as well. I think once the admin and my curriculum advisor sees the potential and the excitement the kids will have, it will not be a battle.

INCLUSION VIDEO

This video is moving.  It is incredible to see an educator, and a man, care so much.  He is a powerful teacher and everything I have watched on him is positive!  Think about that little girls experience if this were 10 years ago.  She would probably not be so lucky.

We actually had the reverse happen at my school.  We had a teacher who was "allergic" to our building.  She would actually skype in to teach her higher level math students.  This may be the first time I, the PE teacher, was jealous of how another teacher got to dress.  She would just be hanging out on her couch in her jammies!

Technology has taken us to new levels and I can only imagine what school and education will be like for my great-grandchildren!

week 11 - Chapter 5

There was an excerpt in Chapter 5 from the US department of Ed which concluded: We have not realized the promise of technology in education. Essentially, providing the hardware without adequate training in its use - and in its endless possibilities for enriching the learning experience - meant that the great promise of Internet technology was frequently unrealized.  Computers, instead of transforming education, were often shunted to a "computer room," where they were little used and poorly maintained.  Students mastered the wonders of the internet at home, not in school. Today's students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy. (p. 10)
I can only speak from my experiences, but this rings very true at my school.  Actually, this year was even worse.  There wasn't even a computer lab to go to, because our temporary facility didn't accomodate it.  Unfortunately our district isn't very friendly to us, a small charter school, so we also lack in the professional development classes that our offered to the county employees and are left to find opportunities on our own.

Luckily I have found new resources in this book that I am able to share with my staff and hope they will take the time to look it over.  This along with workshops and conventions will help our staff move forward with technology and all that it has to offer.

Week 11 - my pln

I had a makeshift PLN in place for myself before this class, but it wasn't organized or solid.  This class has shown me more efficient ways to create a PLN.  I was hired at Bridgewater before I actually finished my degree work.  I already had a masters, but neither degree was in PE.  I was pursuing my second undergrad.  Lucky for me, Charter schools can have a percentage of teachers not certified.  That being said, I had to create some sort of learning opportunity for myself.  I am the only PE and Health educator in my school.  I do not have anyone to help me plan or to collaborate with.  I go to AAHPERD conferences, but I needed something year round.
Now I have more sophisticated ways of using that network.  Using tools like Diggio help me access my information at school as well as at home.  My bookmarks tab was getting a bit ridiculous on my iMac.  Now I can continue to add sites without wondering "do I really need to add this to my bookmarks tab?'  I can add it to diggio and if I use it, great! If I don't, who cares.
I am a tekkie.  I am on top of the technology in my personal life and will continue to push for our school to do the same for our children.  I have found new ways of "connecting" to my students and athletes.  I have a separate Facebook page just for my athletes and students to friend me.  I create groups for the different teams I coach so we can "connect" just with our teammates.  I use to be that person who said, NO I will not be your friend on Facebook!  That is inappropriate! Now, I am the person who sat at the computer for one hour and created a whole new network of communication.  I had the most successful season of volleyball this year.  Yes we won at our final tournament, but that wasn't where the success happened.  This team struggled to find their voice, on and off the court.  At the close of the season, these kids had opened up, began to work as a unit and most importantly felt like they were part of something bigger than themselves.  They felt they belonged.  They had pride in themselves and their team.  One week after the tournament I logged on to that account and the team was still and is still involved in team conversation.  That group site continues to have posts and pictures added.  If I can take this team on a journey of trust, respect and inclusion through this site into next season, watch out.  They will be a team beyond the court.