Category: Technology

This category recognizes the ways that rapidly changing technology can impact teaching. Read more about how to effectively use the latest technology to enhance student learning and support new and innovative teaching strategies.

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Make Lemonade out of Lemons: A 2017 New Year Resolution

As health and physical educators, it’s easy to feel frustrated by school district politics or sense a lack of support for your teaching.  I completely understand and as a middle-high school health and physical educator I’ve been there many times myself.  However, I also often think that as teaching professionals we don’t give ourselves enough credit.

We are in the business of creativity.  Health and physical educators are routinely challenged to think outside the box. We constantly need to differentiate our instruction (sometimes 5 or more ways within a single activity), adapt to a wide variety of skill levels in our classes, and simultaneously manage and try to teach more students in small spaces that would give most classroom teachers nightmares!

Despite these impressive talents, we too often allow ourselves to get focused on the funding, or lack thereof, within our district.  We think, “It sure would be nice to have a bigger budget or PEP grant!  I could have a variety of climbing gear, fitness stations, on-line portfolios (I do love the portfolios. . .but have never had to pay for them), outdoor recreation and challenge course equipment, and so much more!”

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Take Home Activity Journals

Like many coaches and teachers across the country, once in a while I come up with what turns out to be a new and effective teaching strategy. New ideas often come to me while at professional conferences, reading online, or simply talking with colleagues. I then take the idea and modify it to best fit my teaching environment. One such idea I’d like to share with you is a take-home activity journal.

When my girls were in school, I can remember them bringing home a classroom journal. They had to spend time writing about a topic that had been introduced on in class. In physical education, I once heard a teacher talk about giving their students small stuffed animals to play with at home, then encouraging them to write about the experience in a journal. In one instance, the kids were even given permission to take the animal on vacation with them and write about it.

My version of physical education journaling comes from this idea. I call it “Fun With Buddy.” “Buddy” is a stuffed animal. It’s one of those monkeys with really long arms and legs that have Velcro on them. I was able to get these donated to my program and have acquired 12 of them. This covers all of our grade 1-3 classrooms. Our principal was able to find book money to get us grade-level appropriate books that support being physically active. I put together a journal with blank pages. Each page has a space for the kids to write about what they did with Buddy over the weekend. The pages also have a place for the kids to either draw a picture of what they did, or to stick a photo of them in action with Buddy. And to keep all the items secure, our Home and School Association (H.S.A.) donated string bags.

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The 2016 National PE & School Sport Institute: A Resounding Success!

Watch Free Livestream Keynote Video Now! This year we were fortunate to hear five talented individuals share how they view physical education as a part of the whole. Each keynoter shared different ways of thinking that were uplifting, transformational, funny, and inspirational. I have provided a few of my thoughts below on each keynoter with a link to their talks.

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School’s Out for Summer…Let the Projects Begin!

I just completed my ninth year of teaching. It’s officially summer! For me, summer is a time to go to the beach, visit as many playgrounds as possible, eat sno-cones and popsicles, watch movies, spend time with my family, swim, and attend #PhysEd conferences. I intentionally carve out a ton of time to improve my pedagogy. Before the school year ends, I think of 3-4 big things I want to accomplish over the summer in order to get ready for the next school year. This year, I’ve chosen three summer projects, each inspired by someone in the #PhysEd and sport communities.

Summer Project #1: Attempt to Create a Yearly Unit Plan

Creating a yearly plan is something I’ve always wanted to do, but have felt there were limitations within my schedule to create one. Students at my school are enrolled in physical education for three quarters and health for one quarter. Our class rosters change slightly at the end of each quarter/grading period. The students’ schedules can even change during the school year, which means they may change class periods and/or teachers. As a result, my students’ physical education experiences vary greatly. There are always going to be units, activities, and concepts my students miss.

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Join PEPEPTalk in Supporting National Physical Education and Sport Week May 1-7

It’s time for all physical educators to celebrate National Physical Education and Sport Week, May 1-7th. This special week focuses on sharing, improving and celebrating the schools, classes, children and families that benefit daily from the work of America’s health and physical education teachers. Learn more about what teachers can do to help celebrate this week with their students here: http://www.shapeamerica.org/events/pesportweek/

At PEPEPTalk (pronounced PE Pep Talk) we believe it is important not only to celebrate the value of physical education classes and what more and more teachers are doing to succeed with SHAPE America’s 50 Million Strong commitment, but also to celebrate the hands that mold and the feet that guide this critically important work.

Health and physical education teachers play such a vital role in preparing today’s youth for healthy, productive, and happy future lives. At PEPTalk we are striving to validate, encourage and celebrate the work of our teachers. PEPEPTalk provides teachers with resources to help keep the teaching fire burning, and for those who need it a way to reignite the lost flame.

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Attend the 2016 National PE & School Sport Institute

Collective Intelligence is a term used to describe the shared intelligence of a group or organization “that emerges from the collaboration, collective efforts, and even shared competitions of many individuals.” And that’s precisely what comes to my mind when I think about the 2016 National PE & School Sport Institute! What’s different though, is that unlike the win-lose scenarios we are witnessing in our current American political landscape, the National PE & School Sport Institute is a true “win-win” event for everyone.

Each summer for the past four years, together with several hundred physical education teaching colleagues and school sport coaches, I’ve felt fortunate to personally experience some exciting, motivating, and truly amazing professional presentations and conversations. And it’s been taking place in my state – North Carolina. This gathering – better known as the National PE & School Sport Institute, has become an annual summer trek for teachers and coaches from around the country who identify with the terms #PEGeeks or #PhysEd. In other words, Institute attendees are leaders among the growing breed of connected “physical education wizards” who are sharing and thriving on Facebook, Twitter, Voxer, and other forms of social media.

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What Exactly is 50 Million Strong by 2029?

(This essay was originally published on SHAPE America’s member Exchange [April, 2016] and is reprinted with permission.)

For much of the past year as SHAPE America president, I’ve written extensively about 50 Million Strong by 2029. Since announcing 50 Million Strong to great fanfare at last year’s national convention, SHAPE America board members and staff have made every effort to explain exactly what it is at state conferences, on Exchange, in news releases and social media, and elsewhere. Collectively, we’ve traveled thousands of miles, devoted hundreds of hours, and spoken countless times in an effort to mobilize the physical education and health education professions to support what is in reality a revolutionary change in what we do.

Clearly however, communicating exactly what this change means to others is not easy. In puzzling over the challenge, I was reminded of the party game in which guests try to guess a song title. You remember? Someone tries to tap out a well-known tune on a table. Despite “hearing” the tune clearly in one’s head it’s often impossible to get others to recognize it.

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