This week's resources provided a variety of technology related tools that could be used in the classroom by students to explore problem solving, interaction with others, and to construct or create projects by collaborating with others.
In my class I don't often find myself asking my students to go through the process of generating or testing their hypotheses, but in some instances I expect them to predict or imagine what would happen as a result of their actions (for instance, following the safety rules for using the equipment). Some of the few instances where I have asked students to generate and test their hypotheses is when they do their fitnessgram testing, which occurs two times within the year and gives students measurable fitness data to see how they compare to national health standards; when I have the students do a Game Performance Analysis, which is when students choose one student and watch them participate in an activity so that they can chart their tendencies during game play; and when I have the students do an Active Learning Time Analysis, which is when students chart another students or multiple students to see how active they really are during specific class activities.
Constructivism is "a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his or her own meaning" and constructionism is "a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others" (Laureate Education, Inc., Orey, 2009). As I was exploring the technology resources this week, I found myself very engaged in what I was doing and I often found myself losing track of time. It then dawned on me that I was just as engaged in learning about the new interactive tools as my students would be. The act of project-based learning is something that almost forces people to learn, and "is at present the most influential force in shaping contemporary education"(Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008). Some of the technology resources that I found this week were very kid friendly, and I could easily see my students using them to create a better understanding of what goes on in my class through the construction or completion of an activity.
Here are some of the websites that I found that were very engaging. Most of them relate to Physical Education and Health Education, but they're well worth looking at if you have some free time!
www.kidshealth.org/kid/
www.nourishinteractive.com/hco/overview
www.kidnetic.com/Innerg/
References
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Constructionist/ Constructivist Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks for those engaging sites. Do you plan on using them in your physical education curriculum? It is great that you employ students in analyzing activity and physcial performance. You are right, when one is engaged, time flies, and learning is almost automatic. Don't you wish we could produce that kind of feeling every day in our students?
ReplyDeleteI was watching one of our project-based sites, and this resource called People's First Project advocates sharing different aspects of culture among indigenous peoples. What if you did one for P.E. where students teach each other physical games, sports, or traditional physical activities from their countries? Students could send instructional vidoes, pictures, or e-mail correspondence on different P.E. topics. Just brainstorming!
Christina,
ReplyDeleteThat's actually a great idea and it would go very well with an Olympic themed unit. I know that the school that I've been teaching at for the past three years always has a Cultural Arts Day/ International Day and we typically teach the students dances from the continents that their grade level focuses on. The students love it and the teachers always get into it too!
David,
ReplyDeleteI find that trying to be interactive with technology can be tough at times, especially when it comes to the budget of what were allotted. We do have simulator bikes that allow the students to pedal which activates the game controller. For instance, if you were playing a race car game. the faster the student pedaled his car in the game would speed up. We do use wii's, but i feel they really don't get kids moving. It's interactive and shows them how to play certain games like badminton, tennis, and bowling. I'm sure you have heard of Www.pecentral.com it hs plenty of ideas and lesson plans on it for physical education.
Mike Benson
Mike,
ReplyDeleteIt's always difficult to incorporate new ideas and new technology into the classroom, but that's also what makes teaching so challenging and interesting on a daily basis. No one day is ever the same and each student learns differently. There are plenty of resources available to us and our students and it's our jobs to take advantage of them!