Featured Articles

Selecting a Digital Camera for Physical Education

With the plethora of digital cameras available today, how does one choose the appropriate camera for physical education. If you will be purchasing a digital camera soon, then consider the following points:

1. Most digital cameras today will suffice for physical education needs.

2. If you will be printing out your images, then select a 5-6 megapixel camera. If you are shooting photos for the web or PowerPoint presentations (digital environment) then select a 3-4 megapixel camera.

3. Only consider the optical zoom number when selecting a digital camera.

4. Consider getting a high-resolution Liquid Crystal Display viewfinder.

5. Consider getting pre-programmed exposure modes.

6. Consider getting movie mode for capturing short video clips.

7. Cameras typically come with a small storage memory card - consider getting a second memory card with a larger capacity.

Accessories to Consider:

Lens Filters - reduce glare and improve color rendition.

External Flash Kits - provide better fill lighting for both indoor and outdoor shots.

Tripod - holds your camera steady and helps eliminate blurry shots, especially when you are shooting in low light.

LCD Hood - makes it easier to view your camera's monitor, especially in bright sunlight.

Tips/Tutorials

PowerPoint: Combining Presentations

1. Open the presentation you are adding slides to.
2. In Slide Sorter view, click the point where you want to insert the new slides.
3. Choose Insert and Slides From Files.
4. Click the Browse button to identify the presentation from which you are importing.
5. When you double-click its name, you will return to the Slide FInder dialog box where you will see all of the presentation's slides at the bottom of the dialog box.
6. If you wish to import the entire presentation, click Insert All.
7. If you wish to import selected slides, click those you want to add and click Insert.

Web Pages for June

Get Up and Try Something

http://www.gjusa.com/guts/month4/
index_m4.html

Physical Education Lessons

http://lightbridge.sonoma.edu/main/
lessons/lessons_topic.html

Playground Safety

http://www.playgroundsafety.org

Summer 2005 Online Courses
June 15, 2005 - August 15, 2005
Last chance to sign up:July 10

• Fitness Software
• Record Book Technology
• Web Design and Activities
• Instructional Software
• Technology Devices
• Electronic Portfolios
• Spreadsheets

Each course is $100 plus an additional $50 for college credit if needed. Click on each course for more information. You may register through July 10, 2005.

Real Life Application

Ultimate Physical Education Challenge

Eleanor Cerny, Instructional Facilitator of Technology and Curriculum

Ken Wojehowski, Physical Education Instructor

Anticipation was building every time the physical education teacher told the students that the next unit would be different: the children would be traveling through North American, using new equipment, working in teams, answering questions and crossing bridges - even using a zip line. Wow, what to expect? Finally the day arrived. As the students approached the gym, they noticed that the lights there were dim. Nature's music of birds chirping and waterfalls was filling the hallway. As the children entered, there were loud exclamations of "What is going on?" "Why is it dark in here?" and "Wow, look at THAT!"

An idea had been born when fifth-grade teachers said that teaching physical geography in September was boring the Technology Instructor noticed a climbing wall in the gym. "Could physical education simulate the geographic characteristics and obstacles of North American?" This question started it all! It was posed to the current physical education teacher, who loves the challenge of developing creative physical education curriculum-related solutions. The idea flourished through collaborative imagination, technology, and grant funding until it became an incredible reality for this small suburban elementary school. Welcome to the birth of "The Ultimate Physical Education Challenge"!

The Ultimate Physical Education Challenge unit is divided into three geographical regions of North American. The gym is transformed to represent one geogrpahical region for two to three days, and then changed to represent another region on subsequent days. The entire challenge takes about two to three weeks, depending on schedules.

While "traveling" in a region, the students experience both its physical and its mental challenges. The gym is set up with approximately ten different stations. The stations are designed to simulate that region's terrain (i.e., mountains, deserts, plains, rivers). When the students first enter the gym, the teacher explains the expectations of each student in that region.

For example, as thes tudents progress through the trails of the Northeast region, they first encounter a burma bridge. Further down, they operate six Skier's Edge machines that face a movie screen which projects a video of snow-covered moving landscape as if they were skiing through it. Next, their cooperative skills are tested as they assemble and disassemble a tent.

Then their cardio fitness skills are tested, first by a group of steppers facing another movie screen that projects the image of rolling hills in the Northeast. Following the "hike" over the hills, the team tests their cooperation and coordination skills to row a boat across the Hudson River. In addition to trying their hand at these and other physical challenges, the students are tested on their knowledge of survival skills and geogrpahy with an online quiz administered on the floor with iBook laptops.

When the students of New York State's Sloatsburg Elementary School (Ramapo Central School District) beheld this unconventional site in their gymnasium, they asked, "If this is a challenge, how do we keep track of which team is winning?" When the students are divided into teams of heterogeneous abilities, each group is given a team number. As the students work at the stations, their team earns points. The points are converted to miles, and the miles are used to advance team markers along a trail on a three-dimensional map. When looking at the map, everyone can see how each team is advancing along the trail.

Assessments by the PE teacher for each student and/or team focus on the following K-12 National Physical Education Standards and National Educational Technology Standards.

NPH.K-12.1 Movement Forms
A physically educated student demonstrates competency in many movement forms and proficiency in a few movement forms.

NPH.K-12.2 Movement Concepts
A physically educated student applies movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills.

NPH.K-12.3 Physical Activity
A physically educated student exhibits a physically active lifestyle.

NPH.K-12.4 Physical Fitness
A physically educated student achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.

NPH.K-12.5 Responsible Behavior
A physically educated student demonstrates responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings.

NPH.K-12.6 Respect for Others
A physically educated student demonstrates understanding and respect for diffferences among people in physical activity settings.

NPH.K-12.7 Understanding Challenge
A physically educated student understands that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.

NTK-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
Students are proficient in the use of technology.

NTK-12.3 Technology Productivity Tools
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

NT.K-12.6 Technology Problem Solving
Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

Plus:

The ability to relate knowledge in the areas of Math and Social Studies

The ability to stay on task.

One of the assessments included an online quiz. Seven questions regarding terrain or outdoor survival skills. Correct answer immediately provided! Each correct answer moves the team ahead 30 miles!

This unit was an incredible success! Throughout the entire three weeks it was remarkable how well the students pulled together for the benefit of their teams. Each team was strategically created to represent a mix that included a strong reader, a strong athlete, and a strong leader. Members of each group worked together using each other's strengths to progress in the game. Another beauty of the unit is that the students get an outstanding workout each day without ever realizing it. The amount of effort it took to operate equipment such as SimCycles (interactive cycling video game), scooter boats, and Skier's Edge machines was unlike anything else we have ever done in physical education. The children left each class intellectually stimulated and physically exhausted!

As educators we sometimes feel as if there are too many distractions competing with our pedagogical process. We often feel that we must rival with current commercial culture and technology (such as movies, video games, etc.) to keep students engaged and excited about coming to school. But the creativity involved in developing this unit is the first step in an educational paradigm shift. As it is so passionately expressed in the file Dead Poet's Society, Carpe Diem - seize the day!!!

Questions and Answers

Q:Is it okay to format your camera's flash memory card in your computer?

A: You can try it, but often times the camera uses a different file system. So, when you put the memory card back in the camera it won't recognize it. Don't panic. You can format the card again using the format utility in your camera. Or better yet, just use the Camera Format Utility to start with.