Special Notices
This is the second sending of this newsletter this month. The "first send" only went out to 5,000 people and then stalled, so we are resending. I apologize if you are one of the few people who is receiving this for a second time.
Welcome back to the new school year, or for those of you on year-round, the third month of the school year.
Upcoming Seminars
2006-2007 Using Technology in Physical Education Seminars (click on a seminar to learn more):
October 18 - Cleveland, OH
October 20 - Detroit, MI
October 23 - Grand Rapids, MI
November 6 - Boston, MA
November 7 - Hartford, CT
February 8 - Wichita, KS
February 9 - Little Rock, AR
May 1 - Burbank, CA
May 2 - Buena Park, CA
May 14 - Kauai, HI
College credit is available for all the above seminars plus our online courses.
Our online fall courses begin September 15 and conclude on December 15 (see the descriptions later in the newsletter).
Announcement
Are you interested in earning more money?
Become a Bonnie's Fitware Inc Certified Trainer:
-Earn $1200 for each day-long workshop
-Receive free software upgrades and discounts
-Receive free instructional support for your workshops
If you are interested, click here for details.
Register for Fitware Certified Trainer here.
Featured Articles
Pedometers and Counting Calories
 Most pedometers that include caloric expenditure simply estimate the amount of caloric expenditure using the weight of the user. The only exception is the NL-2000 activity monitor by New-Lifestyles. It reports net and gross caloric expenditure, taking into account the intensity of the steps and the calories burned by the body at rest. It uses the owner's height, weight, gender, and age to calculate the Basal Metabolic Rate. For most users, a high-quality pedometer that simply count steps (which a pedometer does with great accuracy) is the best choice. Click here for more information.
Device Of The Month
GamePads
Cateye Dance Pads is the latest in a long-line of pads for playing Dance Dance Revolution on the PlayStation 2, XBOX, and game Cube. This one differs in that it provides solid construction and comes with a three-year commercial warranty. Coming soon to http://shop.pesoftware.com!
Software Of The Month
Health Related Fitness: Voices from the Field
The Health Related Fitness program was great. The use of the fitness testing was new to our school system this past year, so it was great to have the software program to explain all parts of the test to the students. They were able to review the parts they didn’t understand and not have to wait for everyone else. Students were able to input their scores into the program and find their fitness level. This program allowed the students the chance to come up with exercises and intensity levels to help them achieve their goals. I encouraged the students to work on the test components at home over the summer. That way, they will be able to tell if they achieved their goals. Next year we will work on goals from day one and hopefully, many students will achieve their goals.
I plan on utilizing the software even more this school year. I understand the health-related fitness better and the software will be a big help to me and to the students. This definitely fits into our content standards of working at home and using technology. I am looking forward to the students printing out their results and having the parents look them over. Maybe, we can even involve the parents more in the physical fitness of the children. Click here to learn more about the program.
KeyPals
As the new year starts, consider having your students participate in keypals. Visit our keypal web sites at http://www.pesoftware.com/pepals.html and see the first request of the year. You also can email Bonnie (bmohnsen@pesoftware.com) if you would like to post a request.
Quick Tips
Hard and Soft Resets for Window Mobile Devices
Soft Reset:
If you notice that your device is running slowly or if an application is misbehaving, it may be time to perform a soft reset. This is similar to the "restart" option on your PC. You don't loose any data or applications that you have installed. All it does is close down all the open programs and restart the system. Most Pocket PCs have a soft reset switch located in a small hole on the back of the device. Simply insert the tip of your stylus into the hole and push in carefully until the display goes blank. Then remove the stylus and wait until the Today screen appears.
Hard Reset:
If you password protect your device and forget the password, or it locks up and you cannot fix the problem with a soft reset, you may need to perform a hard reset. This is similar to reformatting your hard drive on a PC except that you do not have to reinstall the OS or any of the built-in applications. This process resets your device back to factory defaults, deleting any third-party applications you have installed or any data you have saved in internal memory. If you can, back up your system before performing a hard reset. Check your user manual for instructions on how to perform a hard reset or remove your device's battery and leave it out for a few minutes.
Windows Media Player 11
Microsoft is putting a new face on Windows Media player 11. The new version will debut with the Vista Operating System later this year. Significant upgrades include:
Instant search - the search feature is amazingly fast.
The buttons now display only the most critical menu choices.
A universal back button that lets you retrace your steps whether you are browsing a subscription service or your own library.
A drop-down menu that enables you to manage other types of media.
The ability to sync or burn by dragging albums, artists, playlists, or tracks to a pane where an icon and a meter show you which device you are transferring songs to and how much space you have left.
The ability to display images of CD covers to help you navigate your collection.
If you are wondering whether your PC can handle Microsoft's upcoming Vista Operating System - here are requirements: 800-MHz (or faster) CPU, 512 MB of RAM, a DirectX 9-capable graphics processor, and 15GB of free hard-drive space just to run the OS and its "core" features. Windows Vista Premium Ready machines will display the new interface and require a 1-GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a DirectX 9-capable GPU that supports WDDM (Windows Display Driver Module), in-hardware Pixel Shader 2.0, and 32 bits per pixel.
Handheld Computer Tips
Several readers have mentioned that they have lost data on their Pocket PCs and can't re-establish a connection via ActiveSync using their old partnership. Here are steps to follow for those experiencing this problem:
1. Disconnect your Pocket PC from your PC.
2. Go to the About setup screen (Start > Settings > About) and tap on the tab labeled "Device ID" at the bottom of the screen.
3. Enter the old name of the device in the data field labeled "Device name."
4. Remove the old partnership from ActiveSync on your desktop PC (File > Delete Mobile Devices, or File > Delete Partnership).
5. Connect your PocketPC to your desktop PC and reestablish the partnership. You'll have your old partnership name back and you should be able to restore the device from the backup/restore file.
Note: Backup/restore feature is only available on pre-Windows Mobile 5.0 devices.
Excel Pasting Options
Most computer users know how to copy and paste. But, Excel offers a variety of pasting options. Clicking on the down arrow beside the Paste button (available after you copy) reveals these additional options:
1. Formulas: Lets you copy the formula contained in a cell, but not the actual data or formatting. The newly inserted formula changes its references to reflect its new home. Let's say the formula originally sat in cell C64 and added up cells C60 through C63. If you paste the formula into cell C38, it now adds up cells C34 through C37.
2. Values: Lets you copy the value a formula produces, but not the formula itself.
3. No Borders: If you are copying a cell that has a formatted border around it, choosing this option copies the cell's contents without the border.
4. Transpose: Allows you to turn a column of data into a row or vice versa. Highlight the block of data and choose Copy. Go to the first cell in the destination block, click the arrow beside Paste and choose Transpose.
5. Paste Link: This option connects two cells so that changes in the original are echoed in the linked cells. It is handy when you need to use a single changing figure in multiple spots around a worksheet. Choosing paste link sets the destination cell so that whenever the original cell's value changes, the linked cells value is automatically updated.
6. Paste Special: Opens a dialog box full of choices. Many of them duplicate the features described above, but you will also find choices for specific kinds of paste jobs. Most consist of exclusive choices that copy only features such as a cell's width or comments connected to it.
Spreadsheet: Average Function
This month we will look at another common function: AVERAGE. The AVERAGE function adds up the cells referenced and then divides the total by the number of cells that contain something.
Remember, all functions start with the "=" sign and are followed by the starting and ending (). Inside the parentheses are references to the cells that you wish to average.
For example, =average(b1:b5) averages the numbers in cells b1, b2, b3, b4, and b5 -- since the ":" means through. Therefore, =(b1+b2+b3+b4+b5)/5 is the same as =average(b1:b5) - as long as there is a number in each cell. But, if there is only numbers in four of the cells, then the formula is =(b1+b2+b3+b4+b5)/4.
PowerPoint Sound
Here are two methods for inserting sound into your PowerPoint presentations:
1. Use the Record Narration feature within PowerPoint. This feature is a convenient audio recording tool that does not require additional software. To access this feature, choose the Slide Show menu and select Record Narration. From the Record Narration dialog box, you can set your microphone levels and adjust quality settings.
2. Inserting external sound files on slide transition. An effective way to narrate your presentation is to add pre-recorded narration under the Slide Transition settings. This is a simple process and is therefore highly recommended. To insert sound within the Slide Transition settings imply click the Slide Show menu and select Slide Transition. Click on the Sound drop down menu. Select the Other Sounds option located at the bottom of the list. This will launch the Add Sound dialog box, from which you can browse for your pre-recorded sound file on your computer.
Improving Your Graphics
If you are purchasing clip art, be sure to purchase vector graphics and not bitmap images. Bitmap images look badly when their size is increased; however vector graphics retain their visual appeal regardless of the scale you select.
Task Cards: Package of the Month
Ball Exercise Task Cards
 Each card includes name and picture (color) of the skill along with its critical features. Can be used for station teaching or warm up exercises Click here for details.
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So you haven't had the opportunity to attend a seminar on using technology - well now is your chance to see a seminar presented by Bonnie Mohnsen. This five-disc instructional video series covers: teacher utility software, handheld computers, instructional software, use of the web, and technology devices - all geared for physical educators. Comes with a free copy of The Best Physical Education Web Sites CD. Click 
Why waste your time searching for web sites when this CD comes with over 100 of the best physical education web sites on the Internet? It is aligned to the national standards and categorized by content and standard for easy searching. Also included is a description of the site and teaching ideas on how to use the site with your students. A notes section allows you to add your own comments and you can add your favorite sites so that all of your URLS are in one convenient location. Click 
Integrating Technology and Pedagogy in Physical Education provides guidance for modeling the use of technology in physical education teacher education programs (PETE). The NASPE/NCATE Beginning Teacher Standards (NASPE/NCATE BTS) list and describe the competencies that are expected of preservice teachers. Similarly, the National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) provide guidelines for what the induction phase teacher should know and be able to do when using technology as a resource for planning, instruction, and assessment. For more information click