Featured Articles
EyeToy
 The EyeToy is bringing virtual reality into the hands of every game user. EyeToy is a device and a software program that essentially makes the player the star of the game.
 EyeToy involves a webcam and a number of games designed to work with the EyeToy. The webcam plugs into your PlayStation machine and the games to into your Playstation. The game is then controlled by moving your body in the manner that you would within the parameters of the game. For example, in a boxing match, you would punch just like you would if you were in the fight.
Be aware that the area between the camera and the participants needs to be clear of any debris in order for the EyeToy to work properly. You also are better off with a solid color background. The EyeToy has struggle when there is a busy background.
More and more games are becoming available that work with EyeToy, for now you can choose from the following:
Groove with Camera
Extreme EyeToy Antigrav with Camera
Nicktoons' Movin Eye World Tour Soccer 2006
MLB 2006
Tips/Tutorials
Excel Tips: Super Settings
Did you know that there are 13 tabs in the dialog box, available through Tools and Options, that control dozens of functions. Some of fairly boring, but about 14 of them are actually quite handy:
Use one Taskbar button for all Excel documents: Excel places a separate button the Taskbar for every open document. When it gets crowded, uncheck the View tab's Windows In Taskbar box to have one button represent everything open in Excel.
Change Gridline color: don't like Black - pick another color
Switch to manual calculation: Excel normally recalculates formulas when values they depend on change. To limit recalculation to times of your choosing, click Manual on the Calculation tab.
Change Next-Cell Selection: When you enter information into a cell and press ENTER< Excel selects the cell below the one you were working in. If your data entry lends itself to moves in another direction, maybe to the right, change the selection process with drop-down menu below.
Turn Off Auto Complete: you can tell Excel to quit anticipating what you're going to type by turning it off on the Edit tab.
Eliminate Paste Options button: Have you noticed that there is a mysterious little clipboard icon that pops up when you paste? If you never use it, you can turn it off in the Edit tab.
Turn off Tooltips: You can turn off the labels that popup when your cursor moves over a button.
[Seven more next month]
Web Pages for November
Peaceful Playgrounds
http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com
U.S. Consumer Product Safety
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/
playpubs.html
MesoAmerican Ball Game
http://www.ballgame.org
Science of Hockey
http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey
Aerobic Steps
http://www.turnstep.com
Macintosh OSX Widget
Free physical activity calorie counter widget for Mac OSX. Go to http://www.jonbrown.org/widgets.html.
Fall 2005 Online Courses
October 1, 2005 - December 15, 2005
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 November 1, 2005.
Be Aware
Games Kids Play
Last month we listed Games Kids Play as a site to visit in September. It had been recommended to us by a national play association. And, although there are good games on the site - there also are very "bad" games on the site. Games where students are used as targets (e.g., Dodgeball) and where students are inactive for most of the game (e.g., Duck Duck Goose).
This just goes to show that you must always be very critical when you review web sites.
Health Education Web Sites for October:
Ask the Dietitian
Diabetes
Headache Information
Health Finder
Mayo Clinic
Technology-Based Assessment
Handheld Technology and Electronic Portfolios: The Perfect Marriage
For many years, I have struggled with the best way to use technology for the enhancement of physical education programs. Certainly, pedometers and heart monitors have their place related to National Standards 3 and 4. In addition, I see the use of "virtual reality" bicycles and rowers, iToys, and DDR as pieces of exercise equipment designed to motivate students to exercise and maintain their heart rates in the target heart rate zone. Still cameras and videocameras, and in the future, VR Sport Trainers can and will certainly assist students with learning motor skills (standard 1). Why then hasn't software, be it for instruction or assessment, taken off? Granted, teacher utility software (grading and fitness programs) and teacher use of the web is popular, but student use of instructional software, electronic portfolios, and the web, although use in isolated locations, is not as popular as some of the other technology devices.
I think that the reasons for lack of use include limited instructional time in physical education, large class sizes, limited computer access in the gym, and lack of a comprehensive software system for physical education. To that end, Bonnie's Fitware Inc. is constructing a comprehensive physical education instructional/assessment system. It is designed to be used with individual pieces or as a complete system. It is designed for use during class (as a station), or as an independent activity via computers set up in other rooms in the school (e.g., library, basic education teacher, computer lab), or from home via the web, or anytime anywhere using handheld computers. The system can be viewed conceptualized from the top down or the bottom up.
The top down view starts with the Record Book program for teachers to enter grades via desktop computer or handheld and create standards-based report cards. From there it moves to the electronic portfolio for students where they can store work or complete assignments and for either the students or teacher to grade the work (The network version requires FileMaker Pro and the handheld version requires FileMaker Mobile). The scores from the electronic portfolio can be sent directly to the Record Book. The third and final step is actually a variety of new versions of our popular instructional software programs (e.g., Biomechanics Made Easy, SimAthlete, Volleyball Complete, Muscle Flash, and Health Related Fitness). We are also designing new programs for this section: Short Jump Rope CD, Long Jump Rope CD, Tinikling CD, as well CDs for Track/Field, Bowling, and many more sports and activities. These programs interface directly with both the Electronic Portfolio and the Record Book programs, so that scores and grades can be easily moved into the student's electronic portfolio or the teacher's Record Book.
Looking at it from the bottom up: the student, depending on the unit of instruction, learns from and completes assignments/tests in the sport or concept software (e.g., Tinikling, Volleyball, Biomechanics, SimAthlete, Health Related Fitness, Muscle Flash). The teacher grades these assignments online and transfers the assignments and grades into the student's electronic portfolio (so they have evidence of their own learning). The, the teacher transfers the grades from either the comprehensive electronic portfolio or the sport/concept software to the Record Book, so that the teacher can create Standards-Based Report Cards.
The electronic portfolio, available in elementary, middle school, and high school versions, covers the National Physical Education Standards (1-6). It provides a variety of assessment tools with rubrics. You can also change the assessment tools or rubrics if you like. You choose the assessment items for the portfolio. You choose the assessment items for the Record Book. Again, each piece of the system can be used separately or as a complete package.
News
McDonald's Corp is sponsoring a physical education program that will appear in one-third of U.S. public elementary schools. McDonald's Passport to Play will launch in 31,000 schools this fall, reach an expected 7 million children in grades three to five. The move is part of McDonald's Balanced Lifestyles initiative. This is an effort to promote physical activity and nutrition.
Funding Sources
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| New Products |
We are NOW your one-stop service for:
Providing high-quality, standards-based instructional materials at affordable prices.
New Jersey Educators: We are licensed to sell to schools in your state.
Kentucky Educators: We are on the vendor list for KEDC Board - our bid proposal was accepted!
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New Products
Electronic Portfolio: New Version
 Our previous version of Physical Education Portfolio was very popular. And, we now have three new Electronic Portfolios:
Elementary Middle School
High School
Each portfolio addresses all six national standards. Each provides over 100 assignments designed around the national standards with 6-point rubrics (which may be edited by you!).
Each portfolio works as a stand-alone electronic portfolio, plus it has the ability to export to Record Book 8 so that your grades on the assignments may be sent directly to the record book program. Available October 20, 2005. Order now!
Muscle Flash: Five New Versions
 We have updated each of our Muscle Flash software programs. Specific muscles and language have been adapted based on input from the field. All pictures (muscles, bones, exercises) are now in color. In addition, functions are portrayed using video clips. Available October 20, 2005. Order now! Check out:
Long Jump Rope CD
 Long Jump Rope CD provides a compre- hensive (exercise, motor learning, biomechanics, psychology, motor development, aesthetics, sociology, and historical information) perspective to the teaching of jumping long ropes. Teachers and students can access and interact with the information to increase understanding of jumping long ropes on their desktop or notebooks computers. In addition, they can access video clips from this program on their Palm OS/Pocket. Finally, assignments are provided for students which can be added to their electronic portfolios. Available October 20, 2005. Order now!
Short Jump Rope CD
 Short Jump Rope CD provides a compre- hensive (exercise, motor learning, biomechanics, psychology, motor development, aesthetics, sociology, and historical information) perspective to the teaching of jumping short ropes. Teachers and students can access and interact with the information to increase understanding of jumping short ropes on their desktop or notebooks computers. In addition, they can access video clips from this program on their Palm OS/Pocket. Finally, assignments are provided for students which can be added to their electronic portfolios. Available October 20, 2005. Order now!
Tinikling CD
 Tinikling CD provides a compre- hensive (exercise, motor learning, biomechanics, psychology, motor development, aesthetics, sociology, and historical information) perspective to the teaching of tinikling. Teachers and students can access and interact with the information to increase understanding of tinikling on their desktop or notebooks computers. In addition, they can access animation clips from this program on their Palm OS/Pocket. Finally, assignments are provided for students which can be added to their electronic portfolios. Available October 20, 2005. Order now!
College Back-to-School Special
 The complete package for colleges and universities looking to educate their undergraduates on the uses of technology in physical education.
New Dance Pads/Packages (Get Now!)
New Versions/Formats of Old Favorites
Solution for Pocket PC Users Wishing to Run Palm OS Software
StyleTap runs applications originally designed for Palm OS on Windows Mobile! This includes the Teacher Observation Program. Check it out at http://www.styletap.com
PALM Protection Plan Plus - Do you want an additional warranty on your Palm Handheld computer -this protection plan extends your original warranty and limited complimentary technical phone support period to two years. Covers your Palm handheld against manufacturer's defects in workmanship and material. Call toll-free and get your problems solved quickly! Plus one time screen replacement.
Handheld Programs for Palm OS 5.4
FileMaker Mobile 7.1
This update fixes issues related to incompatibilities with palmOne devices that use the 5.4 OS: the Tungsten T5, Treo Smartphone 650, the Tungsten E2, and the LifeDrive.
- Users will no longer get the "Record is busy" error message when creating records.
The update allows the product to work with the Five-Way navigation on the Tungsten T5, E2, Treo 600, 650, and the LIfeDrive.
The update corrects issues with entering the User and Company name when entering the license key on the handheld application.
DDR Pads and Games - now available for XBOX |
| News |
Professional Development
Mark you calendars now to see Bonnie in the following states during the 2005-2006 school year:
Dates:
- October 3 - Rochester, NY
- October 17 - Champaign, IL
- October 18 - North Chicago, IL
- October 31 - Anaheim, CA
- November 1 - San Diego, CA
- November 2 - Ontario, CA
- November 3 - Long Beach, CA
- November 4 - Honolulu, Hawaii
- November 14 - Milwaukee, WI
- November 15 - Minneapolis, MN
- December 5 - Albany, NY
- December 6 - Syracuse, NY
- December 7 - Boston, Mass
- December 8 Providence, RI
- December 9 - Long Island, NY
- January 23 - San Jose, CA
- January 24 - Fresno, CA
- January 25 - Sacramento, CA
- January 26 - Seattle, WA
- January 27 - Portland, OR
- February 6 - Birmingham, Alabama
- February 7 - Jackson, Mississippi
- February 9 - Tallahassee, FL
- February 27 - Milwaukee, WI
- February 28 - Appleton, WI
- March 1 - Cincinnati, OH
- March 2 - St Louis, MO
- March 3 - Kansas City, MO
- March 9-12 - Garden Grove, CA
- April 3 - Charleston, West Virginia
- April 5 - Baltimore, MD
- April 6 - Wilmington, Delaware
- April 7 - Long Island, NY
- April 25-April 29 - Salt Lake City, UT
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| Resources/Software Corner |
Athletics
Volleyball Stats 5 (New Version)
- Track your team and your opponents
- Rate passing (0-3)
- Rate serves and attacks (0-4 or +/-/0)
- Real-time match statistic summaries and serve and attack charts
- Team, individual player, game, and cumulative statistics and reports
- Serve and attack charts
- Libero and rotation tracking
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| Bonnie's Fitware Inc. |
For complete information on books, software, task cards, expert witness services, and consulting services along with an order form - check out Bonnie's Fitware: http://shop.pesoftware.com/). Click on brochure for a copy of our brochure. Volleyball Complete, Sim Athlete, Biomechanics Made Easy, and Health Related Fitness Tutorial/Portfolio were selected by the Department of Defense Schools for use in their physical education programs!
Please feel free to forward this issue to friends and associates. Anyone can subscribe for free at: http://www.pesoftware.com/technews/reg.htm
Bonnie's Fitware Inc.
18832 Stefani Ave
Cerritos, CA 90703
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Bonnie's Fitware Inc Grant Program
The next series of grant applications are due:
December 15, 2005 - email app to bmohnsen@pesoftware.com
Software Choices:
- Health Related Fitness
- Volleyball Complete
- Sim Athlete
- Biomechanics Made Easy
- Muscle Flash
- Elementary Physical Ed Dictionary
The application is simple (no more than two pages): Name of person submitting the proposal and email address; Name of school, address, phone number; Name of software (one title per proposal) and platform (Windows or Macintosh); Description of how (specifically) you will use the software; Description of how (specifically) you will determine if the software makes a difference in student learning. Awardees will be expected to write a one page summary describing their use of the software. The write up is due July 30, 2006.
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