PDHPE for Dummies

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This is my second attempt at a pod cast, my first will be put up shortly. WOW, massive dramas, if i experience these types of dramas within a “University of Technology”, I would hate to be using this in a school environment.

The main point of my podcast is to show the difference between teacher training. If there is such a difference experienced here in the learning institution, how much difference will there be in the work force. Surely there has to be some sort of compulsory e-learning course that future teachers will need to do. Thats just my 2 cents.

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What the hell is constructivism or constructionism? Why do they make up language which sounds like its out of a 1800′s Journal when it sounds like momentary interests vs. how they learn it. However i think there may be a little more to it, I beleive its trying to understand the phenomenon of the ice berg approach. It is so easy to focus on the different elements that are in front of our faces and much of the time they are very relevant but without going below the surface than we can really never discover the source of behaviour and how students learn. Ackerman (2001) describes constructivism as the way children evolve over time, specifically how they think during there development, what their interested in and how they react on it. Where Giles, Pitre, Womack (2007) describes constructionism as building upon the foundations of constructivism where learners build an idea for themselves not from other peoples views (teachers). Of course they say this in hard to understand terms such as ”actively engaged in building some type of external artifact” (Giles, Pitre, Womack 2007)

How does this apply to the use of Technology in classrooms? Well in addition with this constructionism theory, technology supports this learning approach as it provides a tool for discovery learning, letting student learn through there own interests. As Kristie’s blog ”The Net Gen: constructivist learners” suggests today’s students prefer to learn by doing it themselves than being told what to do, therefor this is were technology can be very conducive. Therefore if this is the case, do we just let our students surf wildly through cyber-space or is there a way that we can use discovery learning to get them to teach themselves. I beleive the trigger is the answer, the key point in the topic which will grab their attention. For example, Nutrition lesson = how to loose weight fast or how to put on size, First Aid = people hurting themselves etc

REFERENCES – Ackermann, E. (2001), Piaget’s Constructivism, Papert’s Constructionism: What’s the
difference? Retrieved 29th March from:
http://learning.media.mit.edu/content/publications/EA.Piaget%20_%20Papert.pdf

Giles, E., Pitre, S. & Womack, S (2007). Constructionism, Learning by Design and Project-based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed) Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology.

I have been thinking recently since I wrote the blog on “Honey, computers are killing our students”, we as PDHPE teachers are in best position to prevent possibles injuries sustained from sitting in front of computers for long periods of time. These problems associated with Neck, Shoulder, Upper Back, Elbow, Lower Back, Fingers and Wrists can all be prevented through frequent breaks during work, the continual change of tasks performed, work satisfaction and physio-therapeutic measures (Klussmann, Gebhardt, Liebers, Rieger, 2008). As PDHPE teachers we can have huge impact on the physio-therapeutic measures described. These measures include frequent stretching and flexibility as well as physical exercises.

If schools were to set a side 5 mins extra after any computer lesson, exam or activity were students are seated for a long period of time, this could have a huge benefits to students physiological and psychological well-being. If we as a PDHPE teacher could find a place for 2 weeks of stretching and physical exercise rather than playing Touch football, Netball or any other sport, this may teach student long term health promotion and injury prevention techniques. These techniques could include Yoga, Pilate’s, ballistic stretches, static stretch, small office games etc. 

The role of flexibility is to increase range of motion around a joint, as a body stays sedentary or stressed muscles will constantly contract and shorten. With this continuous strain on those muscles, any slight tear or strain in a muscle fiber will be exacerbated.  Physical exercise again will indirectly increase flexibility by an increase in blood flow to the muscles, further from this it may cause the participant to relax through the release of endorphins as well as preventing blood pooling (often experienced on planes).

Therefor as suggested, these exercises could really influence students for the rest of there lives and i beleive with our ever increasing use of technology e.g computers, cars, mobile phones, TV, computer games etc, this is very very necessary.

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Kristie Ferguson’s blog “Technology in PDHPE” has been one of the most individual and thought provoking posts I have read during this Education course. It didn’t provide the most cutting edge data  nor did it really make us change our teaching methods, what it did do however is answer a simple silent question that all PDHPE teachers are asking, “how do I implement technology into a Physical Education lesson”? The answer as Kristie describes is that we are already using it without knowing it, and this makes me feel a whole lot more confident and comfortable that I am doing the most for my students. Until now i have been thinking about having to implement state of the art devices such as:

• Timing gates
• Information processing applications
• Force plates
• Slow motion video etc
• Equipment that professional in our field would be using

But really its not rocket science, we’re not taking over the world, how often did you use a heart rate monitor during class, a Rowing machine, pedometers, VO2 max calculating applications and a computer to show a video. I would put my hand up and say i have used some of these within a PE class and if i didn’t it would be very simple to implement. Pass a heart rate monitor around each lesson measure peak HR and resting HR, Warm-up using cardio machines, show a video of activity your about to perform. Really if this is what they mean by teachers being more technologically able, then I beleive in PE we don’t have a problem.   

Being a PDHPE teacher, i feel it is a lot easier for us to be a little more ignorant about having to use technology in our classrooms as half our classes are about physical education and are performed outside. However reading more and more articles about the importance of technology in the communication of information, i now find myself being more open to utilising technology in PDHPE that i never thought possible, such as Physical education. Maree Skillen inparticuly summaries these benefits of technology as aiding lesson delivery and engagement of individuals. Even if its a small inclusion such as a YouTube clip demonstrating a skill or a video analysis breaking down a movement, this may provide a great tool to student to make them visual there own performance.

Pill (2006) lists some important qualities which would develop a effective PDHPE teacher and within this it includes providing knowledge of why its important to be physically active and healthy. This is where a PDHPE teacher could implement this use of technology. If we as teachers, me included, continue to be ignorant of technology and refuse to use it because we have not be trained or because we feel its a hassle, then unfortunately we will just fall further and further behind our students interests

REFERENCE – Pill S (2006) Physical education in the middle school. Primary and Middle Years Educator; v.4 n.2 p.25-29

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So far throughout all these blogs, readings and research what I have looked at primarily is the interaction between my teaching pedagogy and technology. How i can become more computer literate to advance my students in the modern world. However i came across a paper by Harrison and Kelly (2007) titled “Passion in Jamie’s kitchen: the vital ingredient in education and training for young workers”. This really provoked my thinking, passion is very important component in teaching, maybe the most important component. 

Passion leads us to take on some of the most difficult challenges, makes us strive to get the most out of our students, to turn up day after day and make our classrooms as fun as possible for our students. What im concerned about within my own teaching practices, is my utter lake of passion for computer and technology within the classroom. Yes we need to learn about it for our students but i would rather get the students outside and make each subject as practical as possible rather than viewing it on a computer screen. For example applying first aid, why get students to make up a first aid kit on the Internet when we could actually go to a chemist and get students to make it up for real. What would be more beneficial? So really will i use technology in the classroom, mmmmmm, probably not. I feel there’s far better options

REFERENCE – Harrison L, Kelly P (2007). Passion in Jamie’s kitchen : the vital ingredient in education and training for young workers? In ‘AARE 2006 International education research conference : Adelaide : papers collection’ : [Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, 27-30 November 2006] compiled by P L Jeffrey. Melbourne : Australian Association for Research in Education, 2007

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In reponse to Kristie’s Blog relating to Youtube as a teaching resource, i absolutely agree with her comments. I found that youtube in my latest prac was a very effective key in unlocking student interest. I really have no idea why it sparks student interest so well, could be the same phenomenon of why reality TV is so popular, or is it the freedom of being able to look up absolutely anything and be able to find something that interests you, you the individual. But whatever it is, it is definitely worth implementing at the beginning or conclusion of a lesson as a small reward for students working hard. If you as the teacher can be smart about the movie clip choice, you may even be able to reinforce the lessons content and ”trick” the students into learning. I want you to ask yourself, when your straining to remember the content of lesson in an exam what do you remember? The monotony of book work, dictation, brainstorming or class discussion, or do you remember a funny, exciting stimulus which made you really interested in the content?    

I was reading an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in regards to the US supplying 5000 Indian schools with 50,000 computers in total. I then began thinking, in the modern age the difference between developed and developing country is massive but what happens in the not to distant future when every job, every process, or way of life is run via technology. If a person was not to have a technological education how could they possibly survive in the ever advancing progressive world.

Even on a smaller scale, concerning young Australians who live in rural communities, who live in low socio-economic areas, who have no interest in computers that have hardly ever seen a computer, who don’t use the Internet, who’s future goal is to become a tradesman or farmer. How will they survive in our futuristic world? Will the tradesman be a futuristic occupation or will be turned into an occupation such as a teacher which requires an increasing level of advanced computer expertise.  It is very easy for us as teachers to think only within our own realm, a school on the northern beach of Sydney trying to lessen the difference between computer literate and non-computer literate students, however these non-computer literate students are going to be far far more advanced than some Australian students who have hardly ever used a computer. 

I believe the only solution is to introduce advanced computer skills earlier in childhood learning, assuming all children in Australia have some type of education. Howeverresearch suggests that the use of technology in the early years can distraction in the classroom, trivialise learning, and can generate both physical and emotional problems for students (Elliot, Hayward, Tate, Urwin, Yelland, Bantick, 2001). If this is the case how can we teach fundamental computer skills to children if they have no interest in computers? Won’t this provide a bigger gap between advantaged and disadvantaged populations, therefore how can we as teacher make up this gap?   

REFERENCE – Elliot A, Hayward R, Tate J, Urwin M, Yelland N, Bantick C, (2001). Classroom computers. Practising Administrator; v.23 n.4 p.30-32; 2001

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Technology in schools are definitely the way of the future whether we like it or not. Soon there will be more learning applications, programs and resources than ever before. In fact a recent article “Microsoft appoints education cheif to target schools” found in the Sydney morning Herald, it illustrates that Microsoft will be pouring an additional 235 million US dollars into education software. This shows that the need for teacher training at present is only scratching the surface and that if this untrained generation of teachers don’t jump on board quick then they will completely miss the education train and be left with limited teaching strategies and untrained, uninterested students. Dr Geoff Romeo suggests that education in Australia is at a bit of a crossroad and our message about teaching a learning with technology needs to be restated and revitalised otherwise over two decades of hard work could be lost. Therefore this then poses the questions, how can technology in education be revitalised in Australia? Was Kevin Rudds promise to provide every student at every school access to a computer realistic?  If Kevin Rudd wants every school to be a digital school he better pull another billion dollars out of somewhere and use it to train Australian teachers to want to use and be confident with computers and technology otherwise his original federal election promise will never get off the ground.

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Last blog i suggested that there will or possibly already be too much of a reliance of technology, not just for students but for teachers as well. In a time when we as teachers are encouraged to use technology for every element of work, being video/audio analysis, presentations, research etc. Could we teach without technology in a future classroom, will that drastically change how we present the information? Research suggests it will, as Prensky (2001) states, modern students like receiving information really fast, enjoy mulit-tasking, prefer graphics before their text, function best when networked, thrive on instant gradification and frequent rewards. Now i want you to think how you could teach a class like this, does it seem like a ”normal”class environment. More like it might appear as an everyday class but in fast forward. I have to keep reminding myself, how i learn doesn’t mean that every other student learns the same way, and the difference is growing further and further apart. 

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