FINAL REFLECTION

So my teaching with technology class has come to an end. I must say it has been an adventure. I began this course with mixed feelings on technology and I have to be honest I still have mixed feelings towards technology. See, my computer actually crashed this past weekend so me and technology aren't on the best of terms. However, in this reflection I am going to give my overall perspective on what I did in this class. We began by making our own blogs. My sister actually introduced blogs to me about a year and a half ago- so this aspect of technology was not new. We also made our own websites. I took a teaching math with technology last semester so I also knew how to make a simple website. However, I had never used the Google Calender feature before so that was good to learn. In both my math and PE classes I want to put up the different assignments that we did in class each day on the internet so that parents and students have access to it. This way if a student is absent, they can go online to see what they missed. This will help me as well so that I won't have to make special arrangements every time a student is absent. Also, parents can look at my profile page and get to know me better so that they feel more comfortable with me teaching there son or daughter. Out of all the projects we did I can see myself using a website the most.
Learning how to use iMovie was interesting. It was fun to see how you can manipulate videos. Honestly, I would need to get a lot more comfortable with the program before I used it in teaching. My students would also need to be very familiar with it before I would assign a project to them using it. The problem with iMovie and some of the other projects is that the time spent working on the technology aspect takes over the time that should be spent learning the material. I experienced this with my iMovie. I had issues with uploading the video, then saving, and making sure there was audio. Thus, the actual time spent editing the video was little in comparison to the time fussing with making sure the equipment worked. With that said, I was impressed with the PSA we made in Advocacy. The black and white, slow motion, music, and fading made the video look very professional. Thus, iMovie does have potential- I just need to find the patience to use it. Overall the class introduced me to some new ideas. I've realized that there is a lot out there to help me in teaching and I don't have to do it all alone!

Using Technology Newsletter

To make up a post that I missed, I went online to try and find a site that would be beneficial to teaching Physical Education. I came across the following website: Top Ten Websites for Physical Education One of the sites recommended was a using technology in physical education newsletter. The short description was as follows: "Newsletter provides physical educators and health educators with the latest information on using technology in physical education." After going to this newsletter I noticed that it offered many insightful tips on using technology. For example, it told how to turn PowerPoints into diagrams as well as describing the "Google Translate" feature. One thing that is hard to do as an educator is to simply keep up with technology. Improvements are constantly being made so it can be overwhelming to keep track. Thus, when I start teaching I can have this website bookmarked and simply check up on it every once and awhile. This way I will not have to blindly go out and research new developments on technology on my own.

Web 2.0

Some of the Web 2.0 tools that I thought would benefit my students would be the social networking ones. For example, Web 2.0 includes sites like gmail and facebook. Gmail has a feature called "gchat" which is like instant messenger. You can chat with others that are online at the same time on gmail. This would be helpful for my students if they had any questions on assignments that I've given. Communication is key, and social networking sits like those can help my students succeed. I most likely wouldn't use facebook for my classroom because I think it is less professional and wouldn't want my students access to that much of my information.

Studiocode Reflection

After looking at studiocode I realized a lot about my teaching style. First of all, in regards to Instruction I do not circulate the classroom enough. I think I walked a full circle around the class one time. For this lesson it was officially difficult because with the paddles and balls I need to help specific individuals. To do this I walked in the middle of the class which caused me to lose sight of the entire class. In the future I need to get the student to step to the side where I can talk to them so I can still see the entire class. Also, I do a good job at disciplining but I let it slow my lesson down.
Also, I learned that I demonstrate a lot- which is a good thing. I used other students to help me demonstrate, which makes the students feel special. So I think this is one of my strengths with teaching. Another weakness would be transitions. At one point I needed to get the students into partners. This turned out to be a much harder process than I anticipated. The students were confused on who they were partners with and it took way too much time away from the lesson. I've realized the
Some of the changes that I need to make is to 1) Keep up the pace of my lesson. This keeps the students interested and I think avoids discipline problems because the students are too busy being active. 2) I need to rehearse my transitions. This is something that you just cannot "wing it" during the lesson. They need to be crisp, clear, and concise if you want them to be smooth. 3) Circulate the classroom more and avoid the middle. I can give individual feedback by pulling the kids to the side. Lastly, I just need to relax. With all of the things to think about with teaching I forget to just enjoy myself and enjoy the kids. The kids can sense when you're stressed and they want someone to teach them that is fun. I think that is the most important thing I need to do next time.

PLE-Evaluating

"How could filming myself teach and reviewing the film help me become a better teacher?"

No one is a perfect teacher. We all know that. But as teachers sometimes we aren't sure what specific mistakes we are making. For example, do we repeat the same word fifty times or constantly tug at our shirt? Maybe our voice is too soft or comes out in a negative tone. These are all things that can we can learn about ourselves through evaluation. Evaluations by others is important, but just as crucial is evaluating ourselves. This is really helpful for me because I am actually my toughest critic. I've noticed different trends and habits that I have that could hinder my teaching ability. For example, I tend to turn my back on the kids more than I should as well as repeating the same words. Another benefit to evaluating yourself is you can see what your strengths are. This way you can continue to do those things that you are doing well while improving on the things you need to.

iMovie Final Video

After creating my iMovie video I need to answer, "How you might use instructional video projects in your teaching. What specific lessons or activities would be enhanced by using these technologies? How would you implement them?"

First of all, before I answer this I just need to say that technology is great but it can also drive you insane. This project was not easy and I hit a lot of road blocks along the way. With that said, since I made a video myself I know what it will be like for my students when they are making a video. I would definitely be sure I gave them enough time and resources for them to be successful. We would probably do a lot of in-class work on it as well. One way I would use an instructional video in my teaching would be to have the students make an outline. By having students write step by step how to do a movement, it helps them have a better understanding of the movement itself. Also I would want my students to go look up instructional videos on teacher tube or youtube. You can find some good insights on the internet on how to perform a skill. True that not all of the resources are credible, but that could be another lesson in itself: how to evaluate a website. I would specifically use this video, "How to Dribble a Soccer Ball" when teaching or coaching soccer. I specifically used three cues in the video which I would repeat throughout the lesson. Also, I'd post the video on my class/coaching website along with a worksheet on dribbling.

iMovie Outline

Title: How to Dribble a Soccer Ball
Music in background

Video Footage “My name is Coach Blevins and today we are going to talk how to dribble a soccer ball. So watch and learn.”

Cues
1. Use the inside and outside of the foot.

Video Footage: Showing how to use the inside and outside of the foot. (Don’t use the toe)

Cues
1.Use the inside and outside of the foot
2. Keep ball close to feet

Video Footage: Showing that you do baby taps and not kicking

Cues
1. Use the inside and outside of the foot
2. Keep the ball close to feet
3. Head Up

Video Footage: keeping your head up.

Putting it all together…
Music in background

Cues
1-same as above
2-
3-

Show me dribbling

Credits