Integrating Technology in PE and Health

SportsCAD is one software tool PE instructors can use in combination with a digital video camcorder to analyze student motor skill performance in various sports. A class with 25 students and 5 DV cameras could take turns videotaping one another, then importing the video and discussing differences in one another's performance on a few computers. A project such as this supports PE objectives in addition to technology education.

Technology integration is often equated with computer equipment, software, and the internet. A broader definition of technology would include non-computerized equipment designed to perform a specific function. In physical education, there are numerous pieces of non-computerized equipment one could "integrate" into a classroom, including heart rate monitors, pedometers, stopwatches, and new GPS-enabled watches that calculate average speed and distance traveled over a period of time. This data is ripe for recording or logging in spreadsheets over extended periods to analyze trends. Interdisciplinary opportunities abound with math.

Gmaps Pedometer is a web tool known as a mashup that repurposes an original service (in this case, Google Maps) to accomplish a new goal. The pedometer tool allows a user to zoom in on any Google Map, set waypoints around an area commonly ran or walked (e.g., the school track or parking lot), and then calculate the distance and the approximate calories a person of a certain weight would burn if they took that path. I created this sample map of Umstead State Park in Raleigh and one of their popular trails (Sal's Branch trail). If a 200-pound adult took the 2.35 mile trail, they would burn approximately 355 calories. Another cool thing about Gmaps Pedometer is each trail/map that is created generates a unique URL, so students could use this and save their work as a URL for sharing or teacher grading. This might make for an interesting interdisciplinary project with science and langauge arts where students walk their trails, collect scientific data, and/or engage in writing about what they saw on their trip.

This web site provides a place for students to log and track their steps using pedometers. Classes can track how long it takes to virtually "walk across the USA" from state capital to state capital. Such programs could be used in an interdisciplinary way with geography and/or social studies content, with students learning about different locations in the country as they make their journey. Another site tool allows for "challenge hikes" as students compete against other classes in their school or other schools.

A popular technology integration strategy to shape student beliefs about healthy behavior is to assign public service announcement video projects where students research, script, storyboard, shoot, and publish a PSA about an assigned topic (e.g., wear your seatbelt, don't smoke, don't drink and drive). In this sample, one of my students in the ECI 513 video class created a fun video about seatbelt safety. The outtakes at the end are funny. :-) Students love outtakes!

TeacherWeb is one site teachers can access to search for thousands of webquests on different topics. A recent search for webquests on the topic of "health" turned up 3158 different projects. Here is one example of a webquest in health, where students split into different roles (student, parent, tobacco executive, medical professional), to research teacher-selected sites about tobacco. Students create presentations and brochures for their assigned role.

PeerTrainer is a web tool that allows users to track their food intake, exercise, and daily reflections. It includes the ability to join public or private groups for support with diet and exercise. Groups contain 3–4 members while teams have unlimited members. A physical education teacher could create small student groups or teams to help students track their dietary and activity habits. Traineo is a similar tool.

This free web-based tool sponsored by USDA allows users to track diet and physical activity to determine an "energy balance."

electriKIDS is a web resource where students can generate a personalized workout plan, with other information sources related to fitness. The site has a teacher section with a few selected lesson plans for primary grades.

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta maintains a plethora of web pages on healthy living topics, including smoking, obesity, sexual activity, appropriate foods, and exercise.

Medtropolis provides access to health calculators and the multimedia virtual body tour with drag-and-drop activities for kids (e.g., build a skeleton).

This surprisingly rich web site provides links to multiple other resources for integrating technology in PE and Health, across all categories in this trail: monitor/improve motor skill, shape beliefs/behaviors, assess personal health, and valid health information. The section at the bottom is particularly rich on ways to use personal digital assistants (PDAs) in physical education.