Special Notices
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Upcoming Seminars
Take the time to learn! Sign up now - the seminars fill up quickly - especially in California!
Using Technology in Physical Education Seminars (click on a seminar to get the details):
February 8 - Wichita, KS
February 9 - Little Rock, AR
April 23 - San Jose, CA - Just Added
May 1 - Burbank, CA
May 2 - Buena Park, CA
May 14 - Kauai, HI
Using Technology in Physical Education Two Day Seminar - attend one or both days - click on one of the dates for more information:
April 24, Sacramento, CA - Just Added
April 25 - Sacramento, CA - Just Added
Can't attend - you can still purchase the presentation on CD to watch at your leisure.
College credit is available for all the above seminars plus our online courses:
Spring 2007 Online Courses
February 1, 2007 - May 1, 2007
Sign up:
Each course is $100 plus an additional $50 for college credit if needed. Click on each course for more information. You may register through March 15, 2007.
You can also visit with Bonnie at the following upcoming conferences:
CAHPERD State Conference - Sacramento, CA
AAHPERD National Convention - Baltimore, MD
International Symposium on Computer Science in Sport - Alberta, Canada
Featured Articles
PlayStation 3 and Nintendo WII
 There are two new game consoles on the market and both have applications for physical education.Both the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo WII use motion-sensitive controls.
 The technology has been around for many years, but recent improvements have brought down the price and the size. These new game controllers are the first gadgets of their kind to reach the hands of millions of people. The Sony controllers have an accelerometer. The six axis the name refers to are the three dimensions of space, plus three axis of spin. The Nintendo Wii Remote goes one step farther by including an infrared camera. It picks up signals from a sensor bar the owner attaches to the television set. This enables the remote to know where it is in relation to the screen, so the player can use the controller to point to things. The Wii game controller also has force feedback, but the Sony's game controller does not.
The Sony PlayStation 3 includes a console, including high-definition graphics, a hard disk, and a Blu-ray Disc drive that delivers great image quality. The $599 version includes a 60 GB drive, 802.aab/g wireless network, and MemoryStick, SD Card, and Compact Flash media slots. A $499 version lacks wireless and has a 20 GB drive. Both models let you copy photos, MPEG-4 videos, and music files to the hard disk, and both offer gigabit ethernet and built-in Bluetooth.
The Wii costs $250 and comes with Wi-Fi (but no ethernet), SD Card slot, and can display photos, but its standard-def DVD can't play movies.
Be aware that neither consoles come with the cables needed to experience their full graphics capabilities All three packages include composite video cables, so you must purchase component cables (Wii) or HDMI cables (PS3). However, both companies have confirmed that the new consoles will support titles from previous-generation models.
Tip Of The Month
Changing Labels on Your Handheld Computer
 Figure 1
 Figure 2
In the transfer field selection dialog box - click on properties. Click on the name of the field that you would like change (e.g., rename G11 - dribble, rename M1 - 9/15). Click on "Use custom label" and type in the name you would like to see on your handheld.
Software Of The Month
Health Related Fitness
I choose the Health Related Fitness Portfolio (click on title for more information) because I have wanted to use this in my physical education classes since I took the online portfolio class. The software has been improved and is in color now. My evaluation of the software is that I think it meets all my requirements for what knowledge I would like my students to have about fitness when they leave my class. For example, being able to:
- set fitness goals,
- assess their own fitness level
- understand fitness principles
- understand FITT
- understand parts of fitness
- develop their own fitness programs.
I especially like the "Home Fitness Center." It gives great resources to help choose workout machines. I also really like the section on picking exercises and the computer showed the specific muscles worked.
We could also utilize the piece about skill related fitness to help improve these area. The first aid part is not in our curriculum but could be used by Health or for extra credit. The portfolio and quiz section help with traditional and alternative assessment of students.
Task Cards: Package of the Month
Dangerous Exercises
 Contains fifteen dangerous exercises (names and line drawings) for student analysis and matching with correct exercises for muscle group from Fitness Task Cards set. For a detailed list of cards, click here. This set is also in the Fitness Special - click here.
Office Tips
Excel Tips: IF Function
The IF Function returns one value if the condition is true and a different value if the condition is false. For example, in an inventory program, you may want to know if you need to reorder equipment, and if so, how much. So, in cell g10 you have the total number of basketballs on hand. You would like to reorder when the number of basketballs falls below 20. So somewhere else in the spreadsheet you type: =if(g10<20, 20-g10,0)
Notice there are three parts (separated by commas inside the parenthesis). The first part is the test - it is essentially asking "are there less than 20 basketballs?" The second part is what occurs if the answer is yes - subtract the number of basketballs from 20 so that you know how many to order. The third part is what occurs if the answer is no - put in 0 because you do not need to order any basketballs.
The IF Function is used quite often in fitness programs. You can write an equation to test whether the student has met the minimum standard on a fitness test - and if yes then show "met" or if no the show "not met". When you want text to appear (as in this example) - be sure to put "" around the words.
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Welcome to your number one source for all things technology! Providing high-quality, standards-based instructional materials at affordable prices.
We do the research so you don't have to!
Need Help?
We can provide you with 21st century fitness center designs and associated costs - just email us at sales@pesoftware.com and tell us your space size and budget.
Grant packages (cost, training, student benefits) - click here.
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New Products
Do you want standards-based (National and California) physical education curriculum and instructional materials? Click on the icon:
All materials are completely aligned to the National Physical Education standards and the California Physical Education standards. We started with the standards and built the curriculum and lesson plans ----- unlike many curricula which simply look for links.
You choose the pieces you want:
Detailed lesson plans with assessments
Task cards that support lesson plans
Complete equipment package that support lessons
Teaching Middle School Physical Education book - curriculum and support information
Instructional software - individual package
Instructional software - site package
Purchase the packages (grades 5-8) above or purchase by specific grade level - your choice.
Sample Curriculum
Fifth Grade Lesson Sample
The numbers at the end of the statement refer to the National Standards. The numbers in [] refer to the California standards.
Observe students contributing ideas and listening with empathy to others (Assessment opportunity: structured observation) 5.1 [5.7]
Describe the use of game tactics in cooperative games. 2.3 [2.1]
Have students write down a description for using game tactics in cooperative games in their notebooks. 2.3 [2.1]
Explain Carry Me. 5.1 [5.7]
Form groups of four.
Two students hold the ends of a piece of wood (2 inches in diameter with each end taped to facilitate gripping).
One student has the choice of standing, hanging, squatting, or sitting on the piece of wood and being carried from point A to point B.
The fourth student acts as a spotter.
Have students participate in Carry Me. 5.1 [5.7]
Explain Tree of Knots. 5.1 [5.7]
Entire group is involved in this activity.
A long rope is wrapped once around a tree.
The challenge is for the entire group to grasp the rope and without letting go, tie a square knot in the rope.
Have students participate in Tree of Knots. 5.1 [5.7]
Debrief each activity including questions related to whether the students were successful and how students accommodate individuals with different physical abilities. 5.1/6.3 [5.7, 5.3, 5.5]
What did you try?
What was the result?
What would you do differently next time?
How did you accommodate everyone?
The new high school standards-based physical education curriculum will be introduced next month. Click on the logo above to get a preview.
Price Comparisons - compare and save :
Heart Monitors
Our Cardiosport Fusion 10 Package $999
- 15 Cardiosport Fusion 10 (coded transmission - replaceable batter - transmitter and watch)
- 1 Instructional support CDs
- 1 Integrating Technology and Physical Education books
- 15 Straps (various sizes)
Polar E200 Tech Pack Package - $1,800
- 12 E200
- 16 straps
- 1 heart monitor holder
In The News
Growing Replacement Parts
Bioengineers can now cultivate blood vessels and other tissues from scratch. William R. Wagner and Michael S. Sacks of the University of Pittsburgh have fashioned an inexpensive polymer, polyester urethane urea, into a biodegradable scaffold. This cylindrical scaffold's strength resembles that of a pulmonary valve because it responds to stress differently depending on the direction in which the stress is applied. A path of this biomaterial infused with smooth muscle cells functions as vascular tissue, promoting healing and reducing formation of scar tissue in the hearts of rats recovering from cardiac arrest.
Scientific America - 12/2006
DNA Sequencing on the Cheap
The cost of deciphering a person's genome dropped in 2005, from $20 million to roughly $2 million - still a little out most people's budget. But, a DNA-sequencing technology using off-the-shelf equipment devised by George M. Church of Harvard Medical School and his collaborators at Harvard and Washington University in St. Louis may help realize the federal goal of reducing that price to $1,000 by 2015.
Future Tech
Neural Implant Empowers Paralyzed Man
Neuroscientist John Donoghue of Brown University has developed a process that results in picking up brain signals with implanted electrodes and using those signals to control a range of devices. In one experiment, surgeons placed a tiny 100-electrode array in the primary motor cortex of a man paralyzed from the neck down in order to collect electrical impulses from nerve cells and send them to a series of signal processors. The computer translated the man's thoughts of moving his arm and hand into the actual movement of external devices. The man was able to move a computer cursor, play a computer game, open e-mails, draw a crude circle, operate a television remote control, and even move a prosthetic hand and arm.
Funding! Funding! Funding!
California Block Grants for Arts and Physical Education
The Physical Education and Arts $500 million dollar Block Grant will be distributed directly to public school sites in California based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA) figures. Schools can expect to get an estimate on the amount of money they will receive in December with money to follow in February. This money may be used for Physical Education and Arts supplies, equipment, and professional development. You not need to apply for this money!
Nickelodeon Let's Just Play Give-away
Nickelodeon is accepting applications for its Let's Just Play Giveaway program. The purpose of this program is to support school or after-school community-based organizations that promote play and physical activity. Programs must be nominated by youth ages 6 to 15 years old.
http://www.healthinschools.org
Web Sites
January Web Pages for Health Education
DNA Workshop
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/
Human Body and Mind
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/
It's My Life
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/
January Web Sites for Physical Education
Kids n Fitness
http://exchange.co-nect.net/fitness
Nutrition Activities
http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/
kids/activities-main.asp
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| In The Next Issue |
- Questions and answers
- New High School Standards-Based Physical Education Program
- Suggestions for purchasing new equipment
- LOOKUP Function - Spreadsheets
- Sample 6th grade lesson
- Monitors - which one/which size
- Installing Fitware Software
- Price comparisons: Palm Packs/PocketPC Packs
- Updated instructional software
- Consulting information
- Locomotor/nonlocomotor task cards
- and much much more . . .
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You have questions - send them to Bonnie Mohnsen at: bmohnsen@pesoftware.com - you may see your question show up in our Q and A section next month! |
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Questions and Answers
Q: My computer display and keyboard get dusty - what is the best way to clean them?
A: First, turn off the laptop. Then, start by using a can of compressed air to blow out any dust between the keys. Next, wipe the keyboard with a clean, lint-free cloth dampened with water. Clean LCD panels with a dry, lint-free cloth. If the panel is stained with residue, then dampen the cloth with a little water and gently wipe the residue from the panel.
Q: The bottom of my laptop becomes very hot - what can I do to prevent this?
A: Laptops are ventilated from underneath, so anything that blocks the intakes will cause the unit to run hot. Use the laptop on a smooth, flat surface to keep the intakes clear. You can also purchase a variety of hot pads if you wish to work on your laptop on your lap. |
