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Upcoming Seminars

Take the time to learn! Sign up now -

Using Technology in Physical Education Seminars (click on a seminar to get the details):
April 23 - San Jose, CA
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 first day addresses teacher use of the computer and the second day addresses student of technology - click on one of the dates below for more information:

April 24, Sacramento, CA
April 25 - Sacramento, CA

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."

Save the dates for 2007-2008

• September 24, 2007 - Nashville, TN
• September 26, 2007 - Charlotte, NC
• September 28, 2007 - Savannah, GA
• November 12 - Newark, NJ
• November 13 - Cherry Hill, NJ
• March 17-18 - Chicago, IL (2-day seminar)
• March 20 - Milwaukee, WI

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:

International Symposium on Computer Science in Sport - Alberta, Canada (student discounted registration fees available - check it out!)

Throw away your textbooks and purchase Health Related Fitness Tutorial/Portfolio - everything you need for Fitness Education in one package - with a one time fee! See more information below.

Featured Articles

Projectors

Projection systems connect to desktops, notebooks, and handheld computers as well as PlayStations and DVD players.. They can project images as large as the wall making them idea for showing images to large classes. There are several features to consider when purchasing projectors.

Lumens: This rating determines the brightness of the image. The bigger the room, the farther the project has to project the image, and the more lumens needed. 2,000 lumens works in the classroom, but for the gym you need a minimum of 3,000 lumens.

Resolution: Static presentations can be displayed on lower resolutions with clarity; however, multimedia presentations look better in higher resolution.

Daylight Technology: This feature provides automatic adjustment of the brightness of the projected imaged based on the level of sunlight available.

LCD vs DLP: Liquid crystal display projects ten to be brighter and sharper; although they are subject to burn-in and require more powerful lamps. Digital light processing projectors tend to provide images with deeper blacks and higher contrast than LCDs. The next major advancement will probably be liquid crystal on silicon. It provides higher resolution and will probably succeed LCD and DLP.

Zoom Factor: The higher the optical zoom, the better. You can ignore the digital zoom factor.

Check out this projector.

Review NASPE Position Paper

Click on the link below to access a "draft" copy of the Initial Guidelines for Secondary Online Physical Education. Read through it and provide NASPE with feedback.

Initial Guidelines for Secondary Online Physical Education

Need to Know

Office 2007

There are eight versions of Office 2007 suite configurations. The cheapest version is the Home and Student 2007 edition ($149) which includes word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the One-Note note-taking application. Then comes Office Standard 2007 ($399) which is the same as Home and Student except it substitutes Outlook for OneNote. The SmallBussiness 2007 edition ($449) swaps out OneNote in favor of the Publisher desktop publishing application and ads Outlook with Business Contact Manager. The Professional 2007 edition ($499) adds the Access database program to the SmallBusiness version. And, the Office Ultimate 2007 ($679( introduces a variety of business-focused titles such as the Groove 2007 collaboration application. There are also three versions of the suite not for retail sale: Basic 2007 (with Word, Excel, and Outlook) that ships with new PCS; Professional Plus 2007 and Enterprise 2007 which are only available to enterprise customers. There are upgrade discounts for folks who currently use Office.

Device Of The Month

Electronic Books

Electronic books are becoming increasingly popular. The Sony Reader, which is about the size of paperback book and weighs nine ounces can hold about 80-full length books. However, the device does accept memory cards so there really is unlimited storage for additional books. You turn pages by pressing a button that refreshes the screen. You can also change the size of the print for those who would like a larger image. Popular sites for purchasing books include ebooks.connect.com, gutenberg.org (for free books in public domain), and ereader.com.

Just remember that your handheld computer can also be turned into an electronic book - it will just have a smaller screen.

Software Of The Month

Pocket PC Package for Physical Education

Comes with software for both the handheld and desktop or laptop computer. One time fee for purchase - no annual licensing fees. You can also purchase a Palm Package with the Palm T/X. Click here for more information.

Includes a handheld computer (currently the Palm T/X or you can request a specific model), Record Book 7 for POS/Pocket PC and Fitness Report for POS/Pocket PC. Includes both desktop and handheld software. Click here for more information or on one of the specific programs below:

Record Book 7 - This software allows for the collection of attendance and grading information using the Palm Operating System. It also allows for the transfer of data to the computer and the printing of various forms. Includes desktop and palm software.

Fitness Report - This software allows for the collection of fitness scores using the Palm Operating System. Fitness scores include curl ups, push ups, pull-ups, modified pull ups, flexed arm hang, walk/thr, mile run, pacer, shoulder stretch, back saver sit and reach, trunk lift, skinfold, and body mass index.

We also have a specific module for President's Challenge, Missouri State Fitness Test, California State Fitness Test, Virginia State Fitness Test and CT State Fitness Test. All modules are included in the purchase.

Here is what customers are saying:

We have been using the Fitness for POS for years and we are thrilled with how much easier it has made our life. New Jersey Elementary School

College Adoption Time

Using Technology in Physical Education

In its fifth edition, this is the number book used by colleges and universities for their technology courses.

Using Technology in Physical Education is especially for technology novices in language that's free from high-tech jargon. It provides comprehensive information and practical classroom applications for fitness testing equipment, digital video, computers and peripherals, telecommunications, computer-assisted instructional and assessment software, and multimedia systems.

Click here for more information.

Office Tips

Excel Tips: SumIf

The SumIf function first conducts a test. Then, if the test is true if performs summation otherwise it returns a 0. For example, =sumif(B7:B15,">4000"). If adding up B7 through B15 results in a number greater than 4000, then the results of adding up B7 through B15 is displayed. If it is less than 4000, then a 0 is displayed.

PowerPoint: Scrolling Titles

The use of scrolling titles can add to your presentation. Choose Slide Show and Custom Animation. Click Add Effect, Entrance, and Fly In. Under the Speed drop-down box, choose Very Slow. Click Add Effect again and choose Exit and Fly Out. Set the speed to Very Slow and set the direction opposite that of the Fly In effect. Click Play to see the animation in action!

Instructional Software of the Month

Health-Related Fitness

This software replaces the Fitness textbooks for students. You can purchase once and use forever. Not only do you get the information you would from a textbook, but you also get interactive activities. For example, have students create a workout plan and see the results or select foods from a buffet and compare their choices to the new Food Pyramid. The software also come with an electronic quiz for either online or print out administration as well as an electronic portfolio, printable task cards, and video clips that can be previewed on your handheld computers. This is a complete Fitness program for your middle or high school students. Click here for more information.

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

The NEA Foundation’s Learning & Leadership Grants

These grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. Grants of $2,000 will be made for individuals; $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. U.S. practicing K–12 public school teachers, education support professionals and higher education faculty and staff at public colleges and universities are eligible. Applications may be submitted any time. Review occurs three times a year: February 1, June 1 and October 15 in 2007.
Deadline: Ongoing
Click here for more information

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!

Questions and Answers

Q: How do I create an email so that the image I have attached shows up in the body of the message?

A: Images that appear within the body of an email message are called embedded images. In order to embed an image, you need to alter the settings of your email program so that the messages you compose are in HTML. For example, in Microsoft Outlook Express, click the Tools menu and select Options. Then, click the Send tab and under Mail Sending Format select the HTML radio button. Click the HTML Settings button and the click OK twice. When composing your message, click the Format menu and make sure that the Rich Text (HTML) option is selected. If it is not, then click to active the Rich Text (HTML) setting. When embedding the file, be sure your cursor is in the position where you want the image to appear. Click the Insert menu and select Picture. Navigate tot he image file's location and double click it. Click Ok.