Welcome to your number one source for all things tech! Providing high-quality, standards-based instructional materials at affordable prices.
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For 2008 we are creating a new look for our newsletter - if there are items that you would like to see in the new newsletter - please email Bonnie at bmohnsen@pesoftware.com.
Upcoming Seminars
There is still time! Sign up now for our Burbank - Teaching Standards-Based Middle School Physical Education one day seminars - click here for more information and to sign up for our standards seminar :
- December 6, 2007 - Burbank, CA
Note: December 4, 2007 - Buena Park, CA - has been cancelled!
Take the time to learn! Sign up now for Using Technology in Physical Education Seminars - click here for more information and to sign up for our two-day seminars (you can attend just one day if you like):
- March 17-18, 2008 - Chicago, IL (new 2-day seminar) - Illinois Professional Development hours
- March 20-21, 2008 - Milwaukee, WI (new 2-day seminar)
Professional growth hours certificate - check with your district regarding acceptance.
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."
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:
California AHPERD - 2008
AAHPERD - 2008
Becoming a certified trainer for Bonnie's Fitware - attend our training in Kona Hawaii. Note the date has been changed from June 23 to June 22, 2008. Click here for information regarding certification.
Featured Articles
Podcast
Podcasts are similar to RSS feeds, but they are sound files that are automatically delivered to your computer on a regular basis. You can listen to the podcast on your computer or portable MP3 or media player. Web sites that offer netcasts usually provide an icon you can click to subscribe to the podcast.
Planning Steps:
1. Determine your objective/outcome
2. Determine your content
3. Write a script
Recording Steps:
1. Download Audacity from http://www.audacity.sourceforge.net
2. Plug in a microphone into your USB port
3. Open Audacity
4. Click on red button to begin recording
5. Record podcast
6. Click on yellow button to stop recording
7. Save Podcast (File->Export as wav)
8. Convert wav file to MP3 (if you don't have the software go to http://www.zamzar.com and follow the steps provided to convert your file for free)
Posting Steps:
1. Upload your mp3 file to your server
2. Create a web page with a link to your mp3 file (podcast)
3. Add RSS capability so subscribers' software can identify the podcast. Sign up for a free account at FeedBurner (www.feedburner.com), a feed management provider. You give FeedBurner the web address that contains your podcast and FeedBurner converts it into an RSS feed.
Podcasts to try:
http://comingofage.podomatic.com
http://www.exertrack.com/exertrackmp3/
exertrack_podcasts_default.htm
http://podcastforteachers.org
http://epnweb.org
Click logo for more info on curriculum!
What's the Cost?
Health Related-Fitness Software
The Health-Related Fitness Software cost $200 for one computer or $800 for an entire school. It comes with interactive instructional software, an electronic portfolio, a traditional multiple choice quiz, video clips formatted for all computer (handhelds and notebooks), and task cards. Lets compare this price to purchasing textbooks which run between $30 and $50 each. At $30 per book - you could purchase 26 books and at $50 per book - you could purchase 16 books. With the books if damage occurs you are out of luck. With software you can put it on every computer in the school, every student's computer, every teacher's computers, and home computers of students and teachers ---- and never have to worry about the the software being damaged since it can simply be loaded on the computer again!
Click on the icon below for more information about Physical Education Planners.
Book of the Month
Practical Strategies for Assessment and Grading
 Everything you ever want to know about Standards-Based Assessment and Grading - but you were afraid ask. This manual explains it all. Click here for more information and sample pages.
University Professors
For those of you who use Using Technology in Physical Education as a textbook for one or more of your classes - we will be updating the book this (6th edition). If you have suggestions for content or features, please email bmohnsen@pesoftware.com.
Office Tips
PowerPoint 2002 Printing
Check out these options the next time you need to print your PowerPoint slides:
File - Page Setup Option
1. Size slides appropriately for the paper you plan to use.
2. Change the slides' orientation between Landscape and Portrait.
File - Print
1. Print Preview button - shows exactly how the material will look on paper.
2. Choose your print from the drop-down box.
3. Click Properties button to control the size of the paper you will use.
4. Select Slides, Handouts, Notes Pages, or Outline View from the Print What drop-down menu in the lower-left corner of the Print dialog box. If you choose Handouts, more options become available - letting you choose how many slide thumbnails appear on each page and in what order.
Excel 2007 Table Formatting
The Table Style Options section of the Table Tools tab includes a few checkboxes that quickly alter the look of your data. Click banded Rows or banded Columns to add a striped look that makes it easier to follow lines of data in large tables. The First Column and Last Column checkboxes have similar jobs, since they add shading to the appropriately named columns so they're easier to spot.
The tab's Table Styles section offers a selection of designs you can quickly add to the entire table. They vary mainly in the color and amount of shading they add to the columns and rows, but some include other subtle changes such as whether you can see the gridlines dividing cells, With Office 2007's Smart PReview feature, you can instantly glance at how your table would look with the altered formatting. Just click inside the table and rest the cursor on one of the styles shown on the tab. Of course, you always can format individual cells and other parts of the table using the Home tab's options for fonts, colors, and cell styles.
Adapted from SmartComputing
Drawing Tool in Office 2007
The new toolbox includes effects for glows, beveled edges, reflections, soft edges, and new shadow effects, such as inner shadows. Quick Styles let you apply a variety of fill/gradient/border packages that jazz up an object without requiring you to individually select each of each elements. Try it out!
Online
Free Office Substitute: OpenOffice.org 2.3
This free productivity suite supports most Microsoft Office formats and comes close to matching its features. The Writer app works like Word; Calc works like Excel; and Impress works like PowerPoint. In addition, the suite comes with Draw (a vector-graphics package), Base (database), and Math (equation editor). Although there are some features that don't work when you try to convert Microsoft documents to this format, overall its work reliably and is much cheaper than Microsoft Office very well. Version 3.0, due in the summer of 2008, will have an e-mail and information manager, Web collaboration tools, wiki creation software,and compatibility with Office 2007 formats). It will also ship in an OS X version.
The software is available at http://go.pcmag.com/openoffice2_3
Another free suite to try out is Zoho at http://www.zoho.com
Click logo for more info on curriculum!
Quick Picks
Desktop Computer
Lenovo ThinkCenter M55e
Notebook/Tablet Computer
Lenovo Thinkpad T60
Digital Camcorder: DVD
Sony Handycam DCR-DVD508
Digital Camcorder: HDV
Sony HDR-HC3 HDV 1080i Handycam
Canon HV20
Projector
Toshiba TDP-T95U
Click the logo for more information.
Future Tech that is Here Now!
Mind-Reading Computer
Tufts University researchers are working on a computer interface that adapts to a user's changing mental states. The technology provides data that the computer can use to gauge a user's needs and adjust the interface accordingly. This is done through the use of a headband that detects blood-flow patterns in the brain. |
