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Upcoming Seminars
Take the time to learn! Sign up now for Using Technology in Physical Education Seminars - click here for more information and to sign up for our two-day seminars:
- October 23-24, 2007 - Buena Park, CA (new 2-day seminar) - Professional Growth 5 hour certificate - check with your district for acceptance
- November 12-13, 2007- Newark, NJ (new 2-day seminar) - New Jersey Professional Development hours
- March 17-18, 2008 - Chicago, IL (new 2-day seminar) - Illinois Professional Development hours
- March 20-21, 2008 - Milwaukee, WI (new 2-day seminar)
Sign up now for our Teaching Standards-Based Middle School Physical Education one day seminars - click here for more information and to sign up for our standards seminar :
- December 4, 2007 - Buena Park, CA
- December 6, 2007 - Burbank, CA
Professional growth hours certificate - check with your district regarding acceptance.
Here is what participants are saying about these seminars:
"This course has given us a lot of the tools and resources we need to bring our current class offerings up to a “distinction” level."
"Thank you for your direction and inspiration."
Can't attend - you can still purchase the presentation on CD to watch at your leisure.
You can also visit with Bonnie at the following upcoming conferences and events:
PA AHPERD - 2007
California AHPERD - 2008
AAHPERD - 2008
Becoming a certified trainer for Bonnie's Fitware - attend our training in Kona Hawaii. Click here for information regarding certification.
Featured Articles
SmartBoards
Interactive whiteboards (aka smartboards) allow a user to:
- manipulative text and images
- save notes for review via e-mail, the web, or print
- show and write notes over educational video clips
- use presentation tools to enhance learning materials
- showcase student presentations
- provide quizzes and tests
However, effective use of the smartboard is in the hands of the teacher. Some teachers have even developed video-on-demand mini lessons for their students to use as reference using the smartboard.
Research, conducted in the United Kingdom (http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/ict/
IWB/whiteboards/report.html), supports the use of interactive whiteboards. It showed that "the interactive whiteboard is an effective medium for teacher input to the whole class, and for reviewing the lesson."
Click logo for more info on curriculum!
What is BlueTooth?
Bluetooth wireless technology allows computers and devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, cell phone, or printer, to communicate without cables. Bluetooth devices use radio signals to transmit information and operate over a distance of up to 30 feet.
In order to connect a Bluetooth device to your computer:
- Turn the device on
- Make sure the Bluetooth device is discoverable - which means that the computer can see the device. When Windows detects a Bluetooth device that is within range of your computer, the Bluetooth Devices icon appears on the task bar.
- To add a Bluetooth device to your computer, click the Bluetooth Devices icon. A menu appears.
- Click Add a Bluetooth Device.
- The Add Bluetooth Device Wizard appears.
- Click this option to specify that your Bluetooth device is ready to be found.
- Then follow the onscreen directions.
Click on the icon below for more information about Physical Education Planners.
Vocabulary
In an effort to bring folks up-to-date with new terminology we will be including a few new vocabulary words in each issue. We are starting with words related to the Web 2 and wireless phones.
Web 2
Aggregator: A program (see RSS article for an example) that generates a list of pertinent headlines from your favorite sites for you.
Wireless Phone Terms
2.5 G : More a buzzword than an actual phone spec. 2.5 provides next-generation data-packet technology for internet and rich-message support to phones. However, 2.5 G speeds are much slower than true 3G.
GPRS: Refers to General Packet Radio Service. This is an evolution of the GSM system. It uses Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) to split the designated frequency into channels and further maximizes efficiency by using IP-style packet technology, enabling multiple users' voice and nonvoice data to share the same frequency channel. GPRS makes common smartphone features such as Multimedia Messaging Service, IM, email, and Web access via wireless application protocol.
Book of the Month
Assessment and Grading Training Manual
 One hundred-page training manual for grades 4-12 developed by Bonnie Mohnsen and used at the BER seminar by the same name. Focuses on standards and assessment tools. Click here for more information.
University Professors
For those of you who use Using Technology in Physical Education as a textbook for one or more of your classes - we will be updating the book this (6th edition). If you have suggestions for content or features, please email bmohnsen@pesoftware.com.
Office Tips
PowerPoint: Smart Diagrams
SmartArt is a new feature provide by PowerPoint 2007. It applies slick-looking designs tot he kinds of diagrams you've probably created from individual boxes and lines in the past. Click on the SmartArt button on the ribbon's Insert tab in the Illustrations section to open the dialog box with the SmartArt choices inside. Options are categorized by type of diagram, including List, Process, Cycle, Relationship, and a few other, less common, types of diagrams. When you click a category, you'll see thumbnails of all the available options. Clicking on one shows a larger preview on the right side of the dialog box, along with a short explanation of situations that suit that particular diagram. When you find a diagram you like, click it in the dialog box and then click OK to add it to the active slide. Diagrams include placeholders for text. Click in them and start typing to add information.
Excel: More on Charts
How can I see exactly what values the parts of my chart represent?
If you find it difficult to see the values represented by the chart, you can get the exact number by resting your pointer over a chart item. The pop-up label's value section tells you the bar's exact quantity. To make the value appear at all times, right-click a bar, for example, and choose Format Data Series. On the Data labels tab, click checkboxes to make the bar's Series, Category, or Value appear on the chart.
Word: Opening 2007 Word Documents
Word 2007 documents have a new file extension, .DOCX instead of .DOC. Office 2007 documents are based on a technology called the Office Open XML Format. These .docx files are smaller and easier to recover if corrupted. To open an older Word document Word 2007 users need to click the Office button in the upper-left corner of the Word window and choose Open. By default, the document is not converted to Word 2007 format. Any changes made to the document will be readable by the older version of Word the document was created in. You can choose to convert the old document to Word 2007's DOCX format. With the document open, click the Office button and Convert. A dialog box will open with a short description of what will happen. Click OK and the document is converted, and all of the Word 2007's functions become available. Click the Office button and Save to replace the original document with the new 2007 version. Click Save As and Word Document to create a copy of the document in the converted 2007 format while leaving a copy in the DOC format.
Video Analysis Software
DartFish 4.5
Dartfish video analysis software is now Vista compatible. The new version also includes:
Sound can be played in all aspects of the program.
Video can be imported from DVDs.
New encoding method to generate Flash video files in your Mediabook.
Video (MPEG) can be played in reverse by selecting a negative speed.
A marker can be used to set the origin and the orientation of the coordinates system.
No longer requires a dongle for ProSuite, TeamPro, and Live versions of Dartfish 4.5.
Web Search Engine
Search Engines: Which is the best?
A recent study looked at four web search engines: Google, Yahoo! Search (which also powers Alta Vista), Windows Live Search, and Ask.com. Google returned the most hits per search in the least amount of time followed by Yahoo, Live Search, and then Ask.
Whichever search engine you select to use, be sure you learn how to use it correctly. Read the information on the web site about constructing a search.
Research Works
Interactive Video Game Exercises - Does it work?
The health benefits of interactive video game exercise
Darren E.R. Warburton, Shannon S.D. Bredin, Leslie T.L. Horita, Dominik Zbogar, Jessica M. Scott, Ben T.A. Esch, and Ryan E. Rhodes.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of interactive video games (combined with stationary cycling) on health-related physical fitness and exercise adherence in comparison with traditional aerobic training (stationary cycling alone). There were no significant changes in body composition after either training program. Attendance mediated the relationships between condition and changes in health outcomes. The present investigation indicates that a training program that links interactive video games to cycle exercise results in greater improvements in health-related physical fitness than that seen after traditional cycle exercise training. It appears that greater attendance, and thus a higher volume of physical activity, is the mechanism for the differences in health-related physical fitness.
Click logo for more info on curriculum!
Quick Reviews
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ViewSonic VX1932wm
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