Vision of Technology Integration:

Being a music teacher and athletic coach for almost fifteen years, I can’t stress how important technology when improving student development and learning.  When I think about the importance in music for being a teacher, the idea of the students having fun is very important.  We want them to create and make music particularly in the younger years but there also becomes a time when the music activities no longer become relevant in the middle school years.  

 Students having fun in the younger music years.

      In the particular interest of teaching general music to middle school students, there needs to me more.  Several of these students had spent grades 5/6 learning to play an instrument and did not succeed for various reasons.  There needs to be more to what they do to be able to meet the music standards in grades 7/8.  Using technology is about the only way that will allow them to still foster creativity and also be able to observe and identify the music language they are attempting to play.

                                    

      In the age of student centered curriculum, most will require more than a one-size fits all approach to general music. Most of these students do not have enough exposure to what the average band and chorus student would have to effectively learning the concepts and record their music.

      In using a similar approach with computers, iPads, and iPhones, the amount of music material which can be found is endless.  If we want the students to really be able to develop an understanding of music appreciation, they need to be given the flexibility of researching their own musicians and effectively evaluate their own styles.  By using their own work stations, each student can develop their concepts for what make the music that they like, important.  The more they understand, the more they can create.
Below is a youtube video for what would be ideal for the students to create ideal classroom:

      Last, this blog was actually intended to become an advocate for educating through technology.  In my professional experience, this really needs to be at the for front.  With programs that allow for the classic novels to be posted on the iPads and Kindles, our students can still get a quality education while using technology.  I did find a should video that will give us Ten Reasons Why we need technology in the classroom.

Here is my digital footprint:  Dave Babin 1996-2014  

Technology in Physical Education

For my first blog that has ever been posted online, I decided to choose the topic of Technology within the physical education class.  In reading the article Teaching with Technology in Physical Education, authored by Andrew D. Eberline and K Andrew R. Richards. I wanted to explore how physical activity can be improved by using technology.  Although I am not a physical education teacher, I do have interest in technology being used in sports because I am currently the Athletic Coordinator at the Merrimack Middle School and I feel that sports can also benefit from this similar experience of technology integration.

Physical Education programs can all too easily become pushed aside when living in the 21st Century with No Child Left Behind.  There is such a push for every district in the United States to meet the standards and the classes that reinforce valuable coordination and fine motor skills can often and very easily be pushed to the side and often eliminated.  Currently there are only 6 states which require physical education to be taught in every grade level with 28 other states allowing for waivers in class (Eberline, 2013).  This is where the problem lies, when the benefits of physical education can be endless.  The issue that is coming up, is that many of the students are not always responding to the material to help enhance themselves.  For Physical Education to offer students a better experience in the 21st Century Learning, we can no longer rely on using 20th Century Skills to record the progress in physical education.  

There are currently many new technological devices that can enhance the learning experience for both the student and the instructor.  This is how I feel that athletics can be tied into this concept of technology.  We live in a time of Smartphone, iPads, and other Kindle devices that offer the students and teachers endless experiences.  The lesson plans can now easily be recorded and altered quickly to adapt to the needs of various students.  Within the class the students can use the technology to track their own progress, and also record themselves within physical activities and offer their own evaluations.

Teachers no longer need to rely on out of date drawings that demonstrate proper technique.  They can now focus more on finding videos to be projected that will demonstrated and reinforce proper athletic technique.  They can find quick videos to show students that relate to healthy eating habits.

However, Physical Education still needs to be about students achievement. The second article that I reviewed tries o answer this question, Does technology in physical education enhance or increase the time available  to engage in physical activity?, authored by Laura Zavatto, Bryan Pennington, Samantha Mauri, Nick Skarda and Jenne Marquis..  While looking at the various results that the different authors found, the overall consensus was that the technology can only enhance the experience.  We live in an age where the students are wired to think a certain way, and they rely on technology.  Using devices such as an iPad can allow students to select their own music when teaching dance movements.  They can find research and videos that reinforce good habits while also allowing the student to take ownership over their own progress.  The technology can allow them to log their activities and also monitor their progress amongst themselves and their peers.  What a lot of the teachers claim about this technology integration is that it needs to be done properly in a fashion that will make the physical education experience more efficient. 

I would also like to share a short video that I found on Youtube.com that helps relate to this subject and the benefits to the student learning: Video Link to www.youtube.com video at this link.

The only downside to this new demand for technology is that the funds for many Physical Education programs are minimal when the need really connects to the core subjects.  The teachers need to become creative and think outside the box for getting this into their own instruction through exploring grants, justifying the money to their own school board or finding partnerships with local colleges who may have access to this technology. 

Sources Cited

Eberline, A. D., & Richards, K. A. (2013). Teaching with technology in physical education. Strategies, 26(6), 38-39. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1491290914?accountid=3783

Zavatto, L., Pennington, B., Mauri, S., Skarda, N., Marquis, J., Alverna, D., . . . Crawford, S. A. G. M. (2012). Does technology in physical education enhance or increase the time available to engage in physical activity? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 83(7), 53-54,56. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1040693849?accountid=3783

Technology in Physical Education Video retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxhOCNsFW_4

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