Writeboard

I think this is a really cool website that can help students contribute towards the class. It also is a way to brainstorm with other teachers in our profession to learn new things or techniques they might be using. From a teacher student stand point I as a teacher could create a board that allows students to get on and post ideas about things they would like to play in PE or problems they might be having with the current sport. It also allows them to let me know how they enjoy my teaching and the class as a whole. From a teacher to teacher standpoint I can have a board where other teachers write things that have and have not worked for them in the past. They can also write about things they are currently doing to provide great learning experiences in their classrooms.

Yaca Paca

Yaca Paca is a cool website made for teacher student interaction. Teachers can create surveys, quizzes, tests and other good stuff for the students to work on. I think it would be very useful because it's one more way to create a paper free class while still providing quality material for the students to learn and then be tested on the knowledge they have gained.

Animoto

I've been intrigued with the cool stuff Dan showed us about web 2.o. I found a really cool website called Animoto. Students can take pictures, videos and music and put them into the website and it automatically comes up with a video for them. It seems pretty user friendly as most of the examples were done by the elementary kids. What I like about it is it takes the little things out of making a video. Instead of focusing on what transition I should use and what style of text to put in I can organize it and then let animoto do the rest.

Final Reflection

I have thoroughly enjoyed our technology class this year. My eyes have been opened to the benefits that technology can have in a classroom or physical education environment. This class has helped me understand how technology can help me become a better teacher and also how to make my life easier as a teacher and also for the students. I learned how technology can help me teach concepts and skills more clearly and be more interactive with students.
Some of the ways that I will use technology include making videos to help teach new skills or concepts. I will also have assignments that can be done online and turned in online. I really liked creating online surveys that the students can take to help give me feedback and improve my teaching. Something I've learned from Dan is the benefit of having a class that is paper free. Not only is it nice for the teacher but also for the student. I don't have to worry about printing off an assignment and turning it in. I can do it on my computer and bam the teacher has it. I want to come up with different options that I can use to be more efficient and have paper free classes as well.

StudioCode

I've learned a lot about my instruction and management capabilities since I had to go through and code my lesson. The video I uploaded into studiocode was one of my first teaching experiences and after coding it I saw where I've grown in my management skills. For me my goal is to make sure the kids are having a good time, exercising, and learning the skills I have prepared to teach them. Management plays a big role in ensuring the kids are learning and not just messing around doing their own thing. Kids need to understand that I mean business. I've learned to deliver the material in a tone that lets them know that I am serious and they need to do what is asked of them.

My instruction has also improved quite a bit. I've learned the importance of continually repeating the cues I am teaching and then reinforcing those cues through the feedback that I give each student. By the time they are done with the lesson they will definitely know the steps needed to accomplish a skill. The kids need to know that their teacher wants them to succeed so by making my instruction clear and precise they are more likely to learn the material I have prepared for them.

Something that I will do different next semester is work on building from one skill to another. So far I've just focused on one skill and taught that particular skill. I want to work on bringing a couple of skills together and clearly presenting them to the class so that they are able to do more than one skill in a particular sport by the time class is over.

Filming in the Classroom

By filming myself teach and then going back and reviewing the film I am able to see many tendencies and habits that I am not aware of at the time I am teaching. Also, when I am giving specific feedback to an individual student it is hard to keep my eye on the rest of the class. When I watch the tape I can see how the other students are behaving and then come up with some ideas on how to keep them occupied while I help individual students. When I am teaching a lesson it is usually just going very fast with all the kids running around and me trying to teach them a specific skill. If I have that on tape I can take everything in and see what does and doesn't work and how I can be a more effective teacher.

iMovie

I really enjoyed my imovie experience. It took way more time than I would've wanted but I think that each time I use it the process will speed up. I can see how useful it will be in the classroom setting. I look forward to using it throughout my teaching career.

Imovie Project

I'm gonna do my little video clip on shooting a free throw. I'll start out with a picture of a big ol' nasty piece of beef. Then I'll bring in each of the acronym for B.E.E.F. and what each letter means. I'll have some music going on in the background. Then I'll transition into my homemade video of me shooting a free throw and explaining how each letter in the acronym is important to creating the proper form needed to make a free throw.

Internet Safety

I guess you can say I've seen the light. Last week Bro. Randall opened my eyes to the dangers that are found on the internet. It's not like I didn't know about the dangers I guess I just didn't realize how easily that information can be found and taken without me ever knowing. I realized how important it is to guard my personal information. I didn't realize how much information people put out there about themselves. But once a few things were mentioned I started thinking of several areas that people can go to get information about another. I don't have facebook but even like in the blog my wife keeps up of our family it has made me think of things we shouldn't put on it. I talked with my wife about the things I learned and there are a few changes we'll make. I think that you can't be to careful when it comes to protecting your identity and also the identities of the rest of your family. I talked to two of my younger sisters about the things I learned both in class and on my own. It's funny to see hear the reactions of both of them. One of my sisters, Marcy, is 20 and seemed to listen to the things that I was telling her. I told her to be careful about the type of information she posts on facebook and to only give certain people access to it. She seemed to understand the importance of doing this stuff and saw how that will keep her safe. However, my other sister Avery, didn't seem to think that it was very important. She would listen to what I told her but she didn't seem like she would change anything or apply the things I was telling her. She is 18 and I think just doesn't believe that this stuff is important to her. I am glad we had that lesson and I have taken some steps to make sure that I more careful about the information I put out about myself and my family.

Adding Pictures to Website

Alright so I didn't think it would be a big deal to edit a picture and then post it to our website. Well I could edit them just fine but I couldn't re save them and post them as an edited picture. So I went on picnik.com and pulled up an image I wanted to edit. After I edited the picture I chose the option that sent it to my picasa online web album. Then I could upload it to my site. I'm sure there are other ways to do it but that is one way that worked for me and hopefully might save everyone else some time.

Copyright Laws

I think copyright laws are very helpful. I believe that people should get credit for the things they create and copyright laws help make sure that happens. Also, like we talked about in class it provides people the opportunity to be creative because they know they will be rewarded with recognition and protection against those who might try stealing their ideas. I don't know any specifics about copyright laws but it seems to me that new technology poses quite a few problems with copyright laws. New technology seems to bypass those laws and it has created quite a stir with the interpretation of those laws. I don't know that they need changed, maybe just updated to help fight the battle that new technology is giving them. I have enjoyed learning about copyright laws and how they will apply to me as a teacher and coach.

Resources From Class

I really enjoyed learning about all the different websites that are out there to help make our lives easier. The one I would probably get the most use out of is Diigo.com. I really like how I can create sticky notes and highlight different articles and that those are saved to my own account. I also like the fact that I can share those with other people and form groups. This would be really helpful as I have friends in other parts of the country that are using the same materials. We can do our own research and easily share our results with each other. Especially when it comes to coaching, with all the good information that is available having several people find it and easily share it with the group can be extremely beneficial.

Technology Makes the World Go Round

I've always been a big fan of technology. I love the new gadgets and there is always the latest and greatest that goes on my wish list. I am by no means an expert in technology. I feel like a have a pretty good handle on all of the Microsoft programs and can run around the internet pretty well. There are several areas where I fall short. I don't know anything when it comes to movie editing or photoshop. I love to learn to new things and see how they can improve the quality of my teaching. My main goal for this semester is to become better acquainted with those programs that will help me become a better teacher and coach. I'm excited to be in the class and learn about all the cool stuff that is out there.