Chapter Fourteen: Teaching and Learning with Technology in Physical Education and Health Education By: Olivia Rattliff

Issues/Problems in Physical Education and Health Education  Decreasing Instructional Time for Physical Education  Link Between Physical Inactivity and Obesity  Accuracy of Internet Information on Health  The Need to Address Physical Education and Health Standards  Handling Controversial Health Issues

Decreasing Instructional Time Schools have refocused their priorities on meeting standards in specific content areas and increasing scores on state and national tests. Physical education and health instruction have suffered. Many school districts are eliminating physical education programs. Percent of schools requiring these programs have taken a dramatic decrease. Physical education programs are being replaced with other academic subject to increase testing scores, and this will only continue to increase in the future. 8jSgHA

Physical Inactivity and Obesity The U.S. Department of Health and Human services recommends that children get a minimum of sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily. However, very few meet this requirement. The levels of physical activity continue to increase as students get older. 75% of adolescents in grade 9-12 do not meet the requirements. Since 1980s the obesity rates have tripled. Around 17% is the average number of overweight U.S. children. The decrease in physical education courses contributes to this number. Children spend more time watching TV and playing computerized games than outside in physical play. SZ_RVk

Accuracy of Internet Information on Health  Students need to have a sufficient level of information literacy to know how to locate, evaluate, and use effectively what they need.  The national health standards believe that students need to become good consumers of health and fitness products and information. They need to be able to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information in the context of health and fitness education.

The Need to Address Physical Education and Health Standards Physicals education in schools has come far from its early emphasis on physical training. It evolved into sports education; then lifetime activities; and not its current focus is on health related fitness, behavioral competencies, and motor skills needed for lifetime engagement in physical activity. The current shift is partly due to the change to the National Physical Education Standards. Health literacy is the focus of these standards. The standards are not implemented as much as they should be. This is partly because of the decrease in physical education courses in certain schools.

Handling Controversial Health Issues Controversial subject matter is proven to be a challenge in health education. Human sexuality is one area of particular concern. Many experts believe that guidance on sexual decisions is essential. Others believe that students should be taught abstinence only and that teaching about the controversial subject tends to legitimize it in the mind of the student. Other controversial topics include date rape, suicide, drugs, violence, and character education. Sometimes the best strategy to connect with students on this matter is to refer to them to a reliable internet site such as iTriage, which is a mobile app.

Technology Integration Strategies For Physical Education and Health Education Supporting Improved Physical Fitness Developing and Improving Motor Skill Performance Supporting Students Work in Dance Shaping Students Beliefs and Interactions Related to Physical Activity Helping Students Assess and Enhance Personal Health Helping Students obtain valid Health Information Influencing Health Behaviors Supporting Interdisciplinary Instruction Offering Physical Education and Health Education Online

Supporting Improved Physical Fitness -Self-monitoring activities' and devices: accelerometers, pedometers, heart rate monitors, electronic blood pressure devices, body composition analyzers, and spirometers. Accelerometers are for measuring rate of acceleration. Pedometers are devices that count the number of steps one takes. Spirometers are devices that measure lung volume. Exercising with equipment and monitoring software: Equipment such as treadmills, stair steppers, and stationary bikes, are all technology devices designed to improve fitness. They are used in combination with built in monitors. Fitness plans and portfolios: Students can be put in charge of their own fitness by allowing them to develop their own fitness plan/portfolio. Nutrional analysis program is a software that analyzes calorie intake and monitors portions of required food groups. Exergraming: Video games that provide physical activity or exercise through interactive play. Such as Dance Dance Revolution and Wii. Some physical educators find these to be a useful addition their repertoire of tools. Exercise and sport opportunities for students with special needs: The Special Olympics

Developing and Improving Motor Skill Performance Monitoring Performance: Asking students to set personal goals and monitoring their progress on motor skill acquisition is motivational to the student. Tablets or ipads help physical educators organize their data collection. Providing Feedback on Performance: Feedback is significant component of perfecting performance. Video feedback can increase the ability to improve and learn motor skills. Self-analysis of Performance: This is where a digital video camera should be placed at one station in a learning circuit. Each phase of the skill is modeled while students work in pairs to identify critical features, patterns, and concepts associate with the skill. Then the students will rotate through the stations in smalls groups, with one group beginning at the digital camcorder station. On student will hit the ball, the second student provides feedback, and the third person records the skill performance. Supporting skill development: Students projects can be used to assess and further develop their understanding and performance of motor skills.

Supporting Students Work in Dance Technology can be used to assist students as they learn and practice dance movements in a variety of ways. Youtube has become a way for dance students to research and view models of various dances. Also, ipods, certain software, and cell phones are ways to support and improve students dance.

Shaping Students Beliefs and Interactions Related to Physical Activity Internet videos can provide provocative prompts to instigate students writing and discussion about healthy behaviors. Websites such as the ePals Global Community offer ways for students in various locations to do joint projects on health issues.

Helping Students Assess and Enhance Personal Health Websites offer teenagers compelling tutorials to increase social-emotional learning Many nutritional analysis programs such as DINE Health and risk assessment programs allow students to track their eating habits.

Helping Students Obtain Valid Health Information Websites offer up-to-date information to aid student research on health issues. Instructional media offer a variety of formats to match any students interests and preferred learning format. Examples: Centers for Disease Control, Kids Health

Influencing Health behaviors Students like to interact with students who are facing the same kinds of problems and decision as they are. Classes in various parts of the world can collaborate on projects such as studying local safety or behavior issues. Videos and collaborative projects allow students to see health issues in real-life settings and view models of healthy behaviors. This allows students to hear information and advice from a voice other than the teacher’s.

Supporting Interdisciplinary Instruction The popular opinion regarding interdisciplinary instruction for health and physical education is that these subject areas support learning in other subjects as well. Example 14.1 page 383

Offering physical education and health education online The online courses generally consists of the students setting a goal for themselves and keep a journal of their activity. Provides materials to support flexible learning schedules Vodcasting can get physical education information out to students in a highly visual format. Vodcasts are videos posted on a course site or other website, such as YouTube.

Websites provides information on a variety of areas pertaining to physical education and also provides links to other websites. Subscription based site that offers a comprehensive, sequential K-12 health education curriculum consisting of almost 300 lesson guides. Parents, teens, and professionals can find answers to commonly asked health questions. This site offers a broad range of current information on health and wellness. The professional organization for health educators.