Monday, January 12, 2009
Blogging and Physical Education
When given the question of how I can think I would be able to incorporate blogs into my teaching I struggled. As a physical educator, it was real hard to think of ideas of incorporating blogging. I teach physical education to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. There would not be a way to incorporate blogging during my class time with my students. My students are in a gym and not a classroom where we would have access to computers to where we could do blogging. The only idea I could really come up with was having my students posts blogs on a certain website and me subscribe to them. My students would be required to post at least twice a week on what they have been doing for physical fitness outside of P.E. , the foods they have been eating, and how they feel for the week. I would ask my students to make suggestions at the end of the week on how they think they could have been more physical throughout the week. I would also let students post suggestions on what kind of activities they may want to try in P.E. and why they think they would be a good activity for everyone. If anyone has any ideas please let me know...I would love to incorporate blogging!!!
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I really like the idea of having your students post their food diaries. If they post weekly then at the end of the semester you could go back and examine how their diets have changed over the course of the class. What a good reflection activity!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of food diaries with your students. How would you monitor this with them and insure truth and respect for each student? I just read another blog for a teacher who is a P.E. teacher and she suggested the students use the blog to keep track of their exercising. You might want to try that as well. :) Hope this helps.
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ReplyDeleteSorry - I wanted to edit my post, so I deleted my first one... Anyway, I think that's a great idea to help students track their own eating/exercising habits! It is definitely somewhat of an "informal assessment" for you. The only challenge I see to your idea is that it would be a lot of work for you to go through and check on ALL of your students since you teach so many.
ReplyDeleteAre you not able to schedule lab time for your class? I have no idea the "rules" of a PE class are, but it seems to me the labs are open to all teachers - why couldn't you schedule one? Just picture your students' faces the first time you tell them PE will be in the computer lab for the day! LOL
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that keeping up with all of your students will be a challenge, but it's not impossible. :)
I enjoyed reading your idea for blogging in physical education. As a physical educator myself, I can understand your struggles. Our class setting does not provide the students with an opportunity to blog during class time, so it will have to be done from home. This will limit (if not completely take them out of the activity) the students who do not have internet access from home. To be involved they would have to find the time to utilize the media center computers or their academic classroom computers. Do you think this would be a problem for many of your students?
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas about students discussing the fitness activities they do outside of PE and making suggestions for PE units they would like to participate in. I do have a concern about requiring students to post two times a week. I teach 240 students each semester and that would require me to read at least 480 posts each week. With (or even without) your coaching schedule, would you have time to read that many post each week?
I am very glad to have another PE teacher involved in integrating technology in the classroom. It is good to hear ideas from fellow professionals. Keep up the good work!
BulldogPride asked about taking your students to the computer lab. While that would seem to be a great idea the real problem is the size of most of our classes. I teach 40 students each period. There are not any computer labs in my school that have that many computers. I have also thought about having the students pair up but you still have 40 students in a small computer lab. I have considered using our COWS (computers on wheels) but our LSTC is not to keen on the idea of having the COWS in the gym. She is concerned for the computers with all of our students (120 each period) and the equipment involved in PE classes. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
ReplyDeleteAt this point- since mobile technologies like cell phones are either not allowed or not utilized for blogging at school- you are in a quandary for computer access. At our school, the PE teacher only gives a "one" ( the best mark) to kids who complete the fitness journals-most everyone gets a two... Maybe you could approach it as an extra credit type thing to start out with? Also, if you have access to one computer-you can use your blog to link to videos or pictures of new sports or games- and show them to the class all at one time. While showing them, you can give props and positive reinforcement to the kids you see blogging to the whole class. Students might start to check your blog more regularly to see new posts and get into the blogging habit.
ReplyDeleteAs a physical education teacher you may be able to draw in those students that are not well adapted for the standard sports, as well as other pupils, by asking them to share the physical activities they do in their free time, explaining how the sport works (as in figure skating perhaps), what they do to prepare for practices and/or events, the equipment needed, how often they practice or work out, how it affects their schoolwork, why they chose this particular activity, what others would they like to try, and so on. Students aren't always so open in class, but they are used to sharing their lives over the Internet via social networking and may find this means of opening up easier. In addition, it could open others up to new possibilities for their own involvement, especially in areas where learners may not realize their are opportunities readily available (ie. Irish dancing). Just a thought..............
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the ideas. I have had many different ideas and suggestions. You are right though it would be a lot of work for me to look through all those students entries every week. So maybe I would just make them keep track of what they eat and exercise they do for a week and then check them at the end of each week or every two weeks even. Thanks for all the suggestions.
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