Assignment #11

Description of Unit (Aim):

In this unit, students will understand the importance of physical activity. By the participation in various different sports, the students will participate in and research the importance of staying active for life. The students will be able to pick any sport that is reviewed over the course of the semester and present with a partner the importance of playing that particular sport and how it can promote a healthy life style.

Learning Objectives:

The purpose of this lesson is to get students to realize the importance of physical activity in there lives in hope to get them to stay active throughout life. 

Through this lesson, it is my hope that through the combination of physical activity and research of the importance of staying active the students will change their outlook on the dreaded "gym class". I know when I was in high school, I loved gym class, but I also knew a majority of people didn’t like gym class and thought it to be "pointless". So as I plan this lesson I am going to be aiming to sway the young learners mindsets through technology to show how important physical activity is in their lives. 

This lesson will help aid and support other activities in this unit by looking at each lesson being reviewed (football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc) and identifying why it is important to participate. It will ask the students to think outside the box as to why participation in class is not the only reason it is important but why is participation in the desired sport outside of class important to maintain a healthy life style. 

Specific Curriculum Objectives:

Physical Education Objectives:

1.) Movement skill performance is primarily impacted by the quality of instruction, practice, assessment, feedback, and effort. 

                                  2.5.12.A.2&4

-Analyze application of force and motion (weight transfer, power, speed, agility, range of motion) and modify movement to impact performance.

-Critique a movement skill/performance and discuss how each part can be made more interesting, creative, efficient, and effective.   

2.) Taking personal responsibility to develop and maintain physical activity levels provides opportunities for increased health, fitness, enjoyment, challenges, self-expression, and social interaction.

                                  2.6.12.A.1-5  

-Compare the short- and long-term impact on wellness associated with physical inactivity.

-Design, implement, and evaluate a fitness plan that reflects knowledge and application of fitness-training principles.  

-Determine the role of genetics, gender, age, nutrition, activity level, and exercise type on body composition.  

-Compare and contrast the impact of health-related fitness components as a measure of fitness and health.     

-Debate the use of performance-enhancing substances (i.e., anabolic steroids and other legal and illegal substances) to improve performance. 

Technology Objectives: 

1.) The use of technology and digital tools requires knowledge and appropriate use of operations and related applications. 

                                8.1.12.A.2

-Produce and edit a multi-page document for a commercial or professional audience using desktop publishing and/or graphics software.

2.) Technology products and systems impact every aspect of the world in which we live.

                                8.2.12.A.1 

-Design and create a technology product or system that improves the quality of life and identify trade-offs, risks, and benefits.    

Substance of Lesson/Activity 

Technology to be used in this activity: 

Upon completion of this semester, students will be asked to complete, with their partner, a multi-slide presentation using the Microsoft Power-Point application. The students will also be asked to create a calendar, program, or system to assist/aid in their quality of life in the participation of a sport of their choice.

The reason for using this technology is because Power Point is an application that is used throughout college and beyond the walls of the classroom when they reach the working world. It is a tool that can be a tremendous addition to their arsenal if learned at an early age. The second aspect the students are asked to explore involves more creativity where they can travel down a number of different paths to create a calendar, program, or system (using any form of technology) that can aid or assist in the promotion of an active/healthy life style. 

Students will be asked to learn how to create a presentation using pictures, sounds, and will be asked to post the presentation onto a class workspace where students can go on and view them. The students will also be asked to use another application of their choice (other than Power Point) where they create the second aspect of this assignment. The students must demonstrate a considerable effort to go beyond the normal functions of these applications. 

Activity Timeline/Procedures:

There will be one class day assigned for teacher demonstrations of previous assignments that are acceptable, questions to be asked, and any extra time can be used for student selection of partners and then brainstorming possible topics. This assignment must be done outside of the classroom with the student’s partner and will be submitted the Monday before midterm exams. 

The unit will be divided up by 8 sports/activities over 4 months. Since the semester is 5 months long that will leave the students one month to choose from all the offered sports/activities to complete their assignment. Sports will include:

                                      - Football                        - Baseball

                                      - Basketball                    - Soccer

                                      - Floor Hockey               - Track & Field

                                      - Volleyball                     - Lacrosse

Students will come prepared to class each day with appropriate clothes to participate in. The students will be taught to essentials of each sport for one week of the lesson and the final week of the lesson will be attributed to competition and games. Each lesson will last for a half of a month each and the students will be asked to come to class at the conclusion of each lesson on the sport with one reason as to why and how participating in the sport can help me reach my daily recommended requirement for physical activity and stay active for life? This question is an acceptable question to ask students as it lists in Bridgewater-Raritan curriculum's page. As the teacher, It will be my job to relay as many important aspects of the sports as possible to the students to make sure they have a broad view of each sport and they can choose an area to research that is outside of their comfort zone. Students will be given websites to look at that promote healthy lifestyles and general knowledge of sports and it's background. I will also bring to the attention when sports are in the news and ask that the students bring clippings in to discuss how their article relates to society today as we are aiming to maintain a healthy life style. 

Assessment:

Assessment is applying a procedure to measure the results of efforts toward a desired
goal. Also, taken from the Bridgewater-Raritan High School curriculum website, during their physical education classes the following techniques might be used:

• Observation                 • Performance activities
• Performance projects   • Portfolios
• Rubrics                        • Skill checklist
• Motor skill checklist    • Tests and quizzes
• Open ended questions  • Student logs
• Student journals           • Role playing

However, I would think that I would use observation, performance in activities (effort given by student), and the majority of their grade will be dependent on their completion of the semester assignment. Also, as the students will be posting their presentations on the class workspace, I will ask each group to watch and listen to their classmates presentations and ask them to provide their own feed back that will be sent for me to view only. Student’s assessment will be responsible for 60% of their grade, as I will compose the remaining 40%. 

Criteria for success will be based on creativity, thinking outside the box, level of difficulty, and clear and concise delivery. I would like to see evidence that the students have spent a significant amount of time on this project. 

I believe that I will know when the students have had a learning experience accomplished by the learning goals I set out for them by the type of work I receive from them. I think that because this project gives them a lot of different sports to choose from they will be able to choose something they are slightly interested in and then look even further into that sport to find something that may spark their interest even more.

Assignment #10

I can remember when I was in high school and using a calling card to call my Mom to come pick me up (don't laugh, it was once cool to get picked up by your mom). Back then, in my high school, it was the norm to receive a cell phone once you got your drivers license. Even when you had it only the coolest of the cool phones had texting capabilities. Therefore, there were not problems in my school with sexting - at least I'd like to think there were not. I think this is a problem today - most kids have access to cell phones today and are taking advantage of little liberties and privileges. I believe technology is a very powerful tool and if used to correct way can be beneficial, however, when used the wrong way can easily snowball and get out of control. I think this snowballing effect on the use of technology when teamed up with bullying has proved to be extremely costly. It is because of this, I feel that there should be more of a roll schools should take in teaching the proper use of technology. I don't have a perfect plan in place, but I do think that there must be some preventative steps that could be taken to prevent the improper use of text messaging. I think everyone can agree that times have changed and when times change, people change, therefore, why do we fight addressing some of this huge issues?
Bullying is something that no child should ever have to experience. Growing up in a huge family myself, I was on the short end of the stick with some misfortunes when I was younger. However, I think what I went through and bullying are two totally different topics. Bullying seems to take things to the next level of inappropriateness. I know it is not easy to do, but identifying a way to prevent things before they become a problem would be key in situations like this.
I would love to see some changes made in schools that can prevent inappropriate use of technology. I watch my little sister text with out even looking at her phone, which proves to me that she has found ways to text during school without being caught. I think things like this need to be addressed, I feel like she is not getting the most out of her day in school.

Assignment #9

Fair use, where to begin? Well let me say that I did not do as well on the fair use quiz as I anticipated. I guess some things a lot of people take for granted and really don't understand what's right and what's wrong. I have really developed a new found respect for copyright laws. Please don't think that I am the copyright pirate, because I am not. I am, however, guilty, of downloading a ton of music, free of charge when Napster was first sprung into the world wide web - don't act like you havent done it either! In the article, Copyright 101written by Kate Thompson, copyright is defined as a form of protection provided by U.S. law to the creators of original works of authorship. Copyright laws and intellectual property laws in general are based on two basic beliefs:1. Anyone who creates an original, tangible work deserves to be compensated for that work. 2. That person should be able to control how that work is used. I think these beliefs state what copyright is in it's most literal of terms.

I believe that this should be a topic that should be discussed in schools. There are so many different "short-cuts" available to help get you things and this could be an infraction of a copyright law. If anything, by teaching students about copyright laws, you are protecting them and your institution. When I was younger, I never even thought twice when I was copying music for free, or even buying bootleg movies. These are just examples but as we read in the articles, there are many other laws broken pertaining to copyright. I don't blame the people who have created something and getting upset when someone steals their idea or work, I'd imagine I would be upset also.

Assignment #8

Looking at the Technology Integration Matrix, I chose to look at the cell that describes an active learning environment for the students and the teacher is asked to infuse their teachings in this environment. The active learning and infusion level of the matrix on a shared level, is used to describe how one class creates a magazine. I thought this lesson was very engaging because they were asked to relate a real life scenerio to their own class lesson. The students magazine was based on literature and short stories where each student had a responsibility for the writing, layouts, advertisement, and pictures.
Using the NETS for Teachers, the specific standards that the matrix example addresses in regards to teacher skills is that it shows how to design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences in the creation of the magazine from cover to cover. It also calls for the students to provide an assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources (computers, internet, advertising, management) to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude. In this case the teacher customize and personalized a learning activity to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. This strategy is described in section 2-C of the NETS for Teachers.
Since the beginning of this instruction I feel as if my knowledge and comfortability of the use of technology has increased dramatically. I never once thought that I would be able to: 1.) Create a blog 2.) Create a website 3.) Develop the ability to "embed" 4.) Create a slidecast/podcast. These things to me were all extremely foreign and I wouldn't even know how to go about getting started to accomplish them. This being said, I feel as if I am at the Infusion category and I think that is being generous because I still think there is far more for me to learn. However, I do think that I have a much better attitude towards learning news skills in technology. 

Assignment #7

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In this assignment I would ask my students to think of one obtainable goal they would like to achieve that is outside of their comfort zone. The purpose of this lesson is to get comfortable when in the face of adversity. I believe it is prudent to work on this skill because there are multiple situations we go through in life where we can be better prepared for and dealing with pressure has much to do with that. The key to this lesson is setting a deadline where the student would give themselves enough time to reaching their goal.

Assignment #6 - Task 2

After watching the video Do Schools Kill Creativity narrated by Sir Ken Robinson, I was very intrigued by what he had to say. I have to admit, when I first went to watch the film, I saw that it was twenty minutes long, and I was not happy about watching a clip that was that long. While watching, I found myself getting more and more interested in what Sir Robinson had to say. I thought he made a very compelling argument as to why the schools had the arts at the bottom of their curriculum. He started off by asking why he believed it to be okay to make mistakes. Children, he says, are not afraid to be wrong and he wonders where this fear goes from their youth to when they become older.
He also says that we don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it. I thought this to be an interesting take and it really made me think and I couldn't agree more. He then says that ceativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. Based off this definition and based off the idea of how we don't grow into creativity these thoughts have merit.
I think that there is room for more creativity in schools and these ideas listed above need to be addressed. We need to be apart of schools that encourage students to be creative, and that it is okay to make mistakes. It is important to make mistakes so that we learn from them. Now so, more than ever, we should make room for more creativity in schools because of today's current economic situation. If there is more creativity, there will be more ideas that have value. I think we all can agree that we can use some more innovative ideas that have value in today's society. By encouraging students to be more creative throughout their education, instead of just their early education, we will have more people who are able to have ideas with value.

Assignment #6 - Task 1

I believe that the implementation of 21st century skills should be more of a part in schools curriculum's today. "The United States is facing an increasingly competitive world market driven by digital globalization" states Susan McLester and Todd McIntire in the article The Workforce Readiness Crisis and I believe that because of this these 21st Century skills must become more polished in our youth today. 
I can easily relate to this debate because I was hired out of college to work in finance. When being interviewed I was asked the question: are you able to use technology as an effective tool? I would answer "yes" thinking I was an advanced technology learner. I came to learn quickly that I was not as proficient in technology as I originally thought. I remember feeling embarrassed that I did not know some things that my fellow colleagues knew. I wish there was some way I could have been taught this information so that I could have been more prepared. 
I don't think that the education I had was worthless but I do think that the integration between academics and life skills could have been more evident. As stated in the article: The Value of Teaching 21 Century Skills: "Some teachers will need additional training to get there, the frameworks will need to be enhanced, and the vision of a "typical" classroom will need to be rethought." I think that with time comes change and this statement is merely just another way to relate it to education. 
Therefore, I do believe that teaching more students like skills or 21st Century skills is the key to success for students today.

Assignment #5

Back to School Night

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I think that it is fantastic the way technology enables ways to make things easier. In today's society with all the households with single parents, and having the ability to post presentations online could make things more convenient for them. Not only could this be beneficial for parents, it can also be a helpful tool for students to use if they wanted to hear the class lecture again before they completed their homework. I believe we will see more of the use of slide casts in the near future.   

Assignment #4

This was my first time using the Google Documents application and I found it to be very easy. The functionality was extremely user friendly and I have to thank two of my cohorts in convincing me to use it instead of Microsoft PowerPoint. When I originally read this assignment, I figured I would just use PowerPoint because of my familiarity of the application, but deciding to go outside of my comfort zone allowed me to experience a different type of presenting information. I think this is a great way to share information over the web andI expect this to be something that will be a big part of education in the years to come.

Assignment #3 - Task 2

The Core Curriculum Standards decipher what is taught in schools in the state of New Jersey. As we continue to learn more about technology in the classroom in the 21st century, we can take a look at what specifically are some of the standards for technology in today's schools and how we can utilize these standards in a potential lesson.

We can begin by choosing a standard: I chose to look at: 8.2 Technology Education, Engineering, and Design. This standard states that "All students will develop an understanding of the nature and impact of technology, engineering, technological design, and the designed world, as they relate to the individual, global society, and the environment."

The standard is then divided into strands, in this standard it happens to be divided into seven strands. For purposes of our potential lesson plan I chose the strand that looks at 'Communication and Collaboration'(8.2.12.E.1).

By the end of grade 12, students must be able to use the design process to devise a technological product that addresses a global issue. In doing this, they must utilize "digital tools" which could be anything: computers, digital cameras, online communities, GPS, etc. Basically, I believe this CPI (Cumulative Progress Indicator) is looking for the students to use technology today by creating a unique way to take a closer look at a global issue.

As I prepare to become a physical education teacher I think this exercise will be a fantastic way to integrate technology into the classroom. Instead of a typical gym class filled with dodge balls flying everywhere, I decided to change things up and to assign students topics that they can work on collaboratively to tackle global issues. Just like we are adapting to the technology curve, we are also adapting to many other trends that are apart of our every day lives. Health is more prevalent in today's society than ever before. Everywhere you look there are commercials, websites, fliers, and people telling you how you can be more healthier. This may be through exercise, eating right, or making better life choices.

For this lesson plan, I will make each student responsible for creating a 4-week health plan - this will be a plan that students will ultimately use themselves. The idea of this plan is for students to take a closer look at a health issue and relate it to their own life.  I do not expect to solve any "problems" with this lesson plan, but I hope for this to make a small improvement in the students overall health. Each health plan will cater to 1 goal a student plans on reaching. Overall goals could be (but are not limited to):

•            Choosing the right foods to eat by learning of different ways to prepare food

•            Preparing for a race by mapping out route to run while building up for the overall goal (5k, 10k, etc.)

•            Adding muscle by researching best practices of lifting weights

•            Creating a plan to quit smoking

In the 4-week plan, the student must be able to relate a global health problem to their own lives and report a background of information on the global issue. The student is responsible for teaming with one other classmate for a brainstorming session where they will offer ideas and suggestions to each individuals health plan. The student must also be able to report why their goal is important to complete as it relates to overall health in today's society and how their completion of this goal can improve their overall health. In their plan they must use 3 digital tools. Students will have the option of creating a weekly blog (which can be used as one of the three digital tools) or they may keep a written journal.

Students will be graded on creativity, throughness, and difficulty of technology resources. I would urge the students to try to use their knowledge of technology to their advantage and create a plan that is realistic by making sure there are steps that are taken to make sure the goal is met. It is important when creating the plan for the student to make sure they look at research and devise a plan that best suits them- what worked for other people and what did not work?

I now ask my followers to offer any input on my idea - what do you think could use some changing and what do you think I could maybe concentrate more on?

Assignment #3 - Task 1

Why fight it? Technology is a huge part of children's lives today so why not twist some things around and use this technology in a teaching curriculum. I have noticed the more frequent use of technology myself by the amount my younger sisters have been using computers and the web to complete more and more assignments today. I am even able to say that after only three weeks of graduate school I have used technology more than I have expected. 

The more I learn about technology in the classroom, the more I realize how it can be used as a valuable tool. I am lucky enough to be able to navigate my way through most things technology related because of my general knowledge, but children today are being exposed to technology more and more to the point where I feel as if they know more than I do! Not to say that I am incapable of learning just as much as them but I think some things may come easier to them because of their background knowledge.However, I do believe that because of my exposure to technology today and what I have learned in the past, I feel as if I will be able to stay ahead of the curve.

I think the students can be an extremely valuable asset to teachers because of what they know.  Rose Porpora, and English teacher from Chatham High School, said that there are some times she notices students know how to do things technology related in the class room and she just let's them take over. I think that we can all agree that learning is a good thing - if you are able to better yourself by learning something new - what does it matter who your learning from? I think it would be an interesting experiment to create some type of integration with students and teachers where the students are able to teach the teachers. This could be in any array of topics ranging from general use of specific programs to shortcuts in creating documents. 

The other video on Mr. Drapers class I noticed two things the students said that really caught my attention. One student said that they are involved in their "own learning" and instead of the typical lecture section, Mr. Draper gives them an assignment and allows them to come to their own conclusions. He uses a unique form of grading the students as he walks around the class with a clipboard and checks off if the students are using a 21 century skill. I like how he guides the students to form their own conclusions so that they can get to the answer by using their own style of learning. Another thing I notice a student say which I thought was very interesting was, "we're not just learning to learn, were getting involved." I understood this quote to mean that they were not just sitting in a desk learning about pointless things that they will never use, they were hands on in learning about hydrology. They were involved in how it effects the community in which they live in. I think that when you can involve students in the community the learning becomes more interesting to them and they feel as if there is a purpose. 

When I begin to start my job search I would like to find a school that is able to be technology driven because I do believe firmly that it is very important for all schools to integrate technology into the classroom. It is the new wave of the future and I would like to position myself as best as I can to prepare for this integration. Maybe there will be schools (or are there already?) that will have programs where students can teach the teachers that I would love to be involved in. I would also like to see schools have programs set in place to help mentor teacher as they are starting out so that they can learn from past events to ensure a smooth beginning. While on the topic of mentor, I think it would be great if a district offered a mentor to each new teacher so there is a "go to" person with any questions I may have in beginning years of teaching.

Assignment #2

While looking through DFG (District Factor Groups) categories and considering the 549 districts statewide,  I chose DFG 'FG'. More specifically, I will be exploring the district website of Shore Regional High School. I chose this website because I love the Jersey shore and I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at a High School that has students from multiple towns. At first glance of the district's web page, I found it to be very informative. After reading the article 'Why in the World Wide Web' by Jamie McKenzie I thought the website hit on many of the important aspects McKenzie outlined in the article. There are multiple paths you can take from the school's home page. Tabs included are: Home, About our District, Academics, Activities, Athletics, Faculty Web Pages, Parent Information, and Calendar. While considering these tabs alone, one would believe you could find out just about anything about this district.

I tried to picture myself as a parent while I was coasting through the website. While wearing my imaginary parent hat, I found it easy to navigate through the site and find out information about the curriculum, community, program studies, athletics, and much more. The information displayed was more than enough for a parent to use as a starting point if they were "shopping" for schools.

Another interesting part of the district's website, was a directory to teachers websites. I chose to take a closer look at  Mr. Aprahamian's page. I was very impressed with the website, and as soon as I entered the space there was the teachers contact information and mission statement. I always find it useful to know what people's mission statements are. I just think it is nice to know the purpose of what people are thinking and how they plan on getting to where they need to be. There is also a short bio on the teacher that is nice to read a little on the teachers background. Also, there are links available to each class he teaches along with a calendar for upcoming events/assignments.

McKenzie points out four logical goals for a districts websites: "They introduce visitors to the school, they point to excellent information on the larger Web, they offer an opportunity for the publishing of student works to both a local and a global audience, and they provide rich data locally collected on curriculum related topics." I think that Shore Regional H.S. tapped on these four points very well. I enjoyed scrolling through and reading on the many different opportunities the school has to offer. 


I thought this experiment to be pretty cool. I have never visited another schools website other than my own (Bernards Township). When comparing Shore Regional to my hometown website, I felt that my hometown maybe should contact Shore Regional to get some ideas on how to make their website more attractive.

Assignment #1

I grew up in the late eighties and early nineties and I can remember the use of technology just starting to become more evident then in schools. Learning how to type and playing 'Oregon Trail' on Macintosh computers. Watching science videos that were derived from these giant discs that looked like CD's on steroids. While thinking about my technology background I would like to think that I am about average when describing my familiarity of technology. I feel comfortable using the Microsoft Office applications, surfing the internet, and composing and sending e-mails - everything else is a little foreign to me. I feel like I may have just missed the technology curve in utilizing all it can offer to today's students. I would like to compare my knowledge of the internet, to buying a new car - the value decreases the moment you drive out of the lot. I have been out of school now, or have driven off the lot, for quite some time and I feel as if my knowledge declined in technology, or my value has decreased. I think technology is great, and I am always looking to have the latest and greatest gadgets but I feel as if I could become more savvy in what it has to offer, other than just the gadgets - like software enhancements, programming, creating websites, writing blogs, etc....

After reading the article "Four Takes on Technology" and watching the video "Learning to Change - Change to Learn" I was able to take away a couple things. Technology can be used to gain more than one perspective on a specific moment in history. When I was in school, we used one text book and that was all. Today, you can still use a text book as a guideline but then look at narratives (from search engines) that form different perspectives on any given event.
School trips were commonly taken annually throughout my elementary/high school career. These trips we taken to local places such as Philadelphia, Washington D.C., New York, and Boston - cities that have a rich history. With today's technology, students are able to interact with other students all over the world. Not only can this help with communication barriers, it can physically show students what life is like for other kids around the world.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a community that never was deprived of having the best materials to work with in school. However, I am aware of the callenges that some schools face with lack of funds. This article shows a way in which teachers can be creative in using technology to reach all students. Anything is possible as long as you are able to be creative and think of new ideas to benefit the students learning experience.
In being creative, you must do so with whatever resources you have, and what better resource than the students you are teaching. Today's children are influenced on technology, so why not use them to better your understanding? Their use of Facebook, Twitter, and all other types of technology can benefit you as an educator if you can be creative enough to derive a plan to use them to educate yourself. As the student evolves, I believe we as educators must evolve as well.

After reading the coarse outline and skimming through the coarse syllabus I am very excited and eager to begin my quest for technology domination. I seem to have a different outlook on school now than I did when I completed my undergrad work (maybe because I am the one fitting the bill this time). I am more hungry for new information and I am looking for anyway to make myself a better educator and person.