A Day in the Life of a Digital PE Class

Upon first glance, it may appear that our students are "playing" on their iPhones, iPads, and computers, however they are actually fully engaged in a Twitter class discussion about Elementary Physical Education Classroom Rules and Consequences.

For all of our current JSU PE students reading this blog, you are the STARS of this technology explosion!  We appreciate your willingness to make the change from the former system of paper handling of assignments and learning to our improved paperless, all digital world!  We realize you are somewhat overwhelmed currently, but your enthusiasm to embrace technology, as well as join the social networking research world (unfamiliar to some of you before last week), is very encouraging.  

For others reading this blog, this semester is a fun, technology filled, content driven, DIVE into 21st Century Learning.

The basis of every decision made has been, "how will this make life (everyday productivity as well as teaching effectiveness) more efficient?"  If "that app" or "that web program" will increase our productivity and allow for saving, organizing, and documenting in an organized fashion, we have implemented it into our curriculum!

Some of the Apps (and programs) we use every day are: Edmodo, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Blogger, Socrative, Dropbox, iAnnotate, Evernote, You Tube, Educreations, Google Drive, ScreenCastOMatic, Prezi, Slide Shark, Noteablility, QR Code Makers and Readers, Dragon Dictation, and Bit.ly.

This project has not been an easy undertaking.  Andrea and I spent countless hours this summer at meetings, conferences, webinars, and in collaboration with educators around the globe to piece together a system that works for our specific need.  No one was doing exactly what we envisioned...making a higher education Physical Education Teacher Education Methods program paperless, digital, and flipped inside our classroom environment, in the university gym, and especially out in the public schools during practicum teaching. The beauty of utilizing technology in education is in finding what works for that specific program and implementing it to help be better facilitators of learning.

Every time we had an idea, we would run into a wall.  But, since we are both stubborn and persistent, we met each challenge head on & determined whether to continue or try a different direction.  We turned the wall into a door, figured out a way, and walked into the next room...which had another wall!  We were very determined to put JSU PE on the map --the technology map.   With a goal to better reach the students of today by using a venue of technology for learning and preparing tomorrow's leaders with the knowledge of successful implementation.

Naturally, we have encountered some bumps in the road, as is the case when technology is misguided by human error.  Things such as updating various devices, getting notifications set to send alerts, getting apps loaded correctly, creating blogs, renaming them, adding content to them, AppleTV login issues,  registering accounts and adjusting security on social networks and most importantly....guiding students through the ins and outs of USING all these apps!

This is a work in progress - a very exciting, yet tiring, escapade - but well worth it!  We are optimistic  about all the future of our endeavors and cannot wait to see where this "technology train" takes us!