Physical Education InTECHgration Using the SWINXS Active Gaming Console

This is a video of a teaching segment I did using the SWINX active gaming console. I created it with the intention of it being an instant activity or station activity where students will get work on the majority of the components of health and skill related physical fitness. I also integrated mathematics into the lesson to give it an academic aspect. Personal and social responsibility, cooperation, communication, and goal setting are all smaller aspects of this lesson, but still present.

If I could do it again, I would have had visual aids depicting the movement and exercise I want them to do at and between each checkpoint. I also would have been more clear and concise in my instructions.

The SWINXS active gaming console is an excellent technology tool for physical educators. There are a great deal of innovative activities you can do using the SWINXS console. One excellent idea is to have a SWINXS based activity as an instant activity that students can begin once they enter the gymnasium. This will get students meaningful and relevant movement to warm them up and it will be done quickly and efficiently to save time in the overall lesson.

Equipment used: SWINXS console and wristbands, two cones, two large dice.

For only $150.00, the SWINXS console can be a great tool for any physical educator. It is worth the investment and can be used as the backbone for many new and innovative activities.

Check out the lesson below!

How to hook up your PC computer to a projector

I created this informative video in PED 515 Technology in Physical Education. The intention of the video is to give a quick solution to hook up your PC computer to a projector using a VGA cable. The video was edited using Youtube Video Editor.

30 Things About Me

Social Networking

The use of social networking websites as a physical education teacher is an extremely valuable way to network, stay current, and learn new things. The huge and widespread amount of people we are able to connect with makes the opportunity for learning and networking very real. I hope to connect with physical educators and professionals from all over the world so that I can collaborate and work with people from all different backgrounds.

This blog can serve as a valuable tool for channeling information to the community as a physical educator. I can keep the community up to date on what students are doing in PE class, as well as constantly advocate for my program and field.

Physical Activity Pyramid

Blindsight

I watched Blindsight (2 hours), a movie about young men and women from Tibet who are blind that set out on a trek to the summit of a mountain that was directly next to Mount Everest and approximately 23,000 ft high. Each young man and woman had a guide who had vast experience mountain and rock climbing to help them in this journey. The group made it to advanced base camp of Mount Everest, which is at 21,000 ft. They had lost two of the young students just before they made it to advanced base camp due to illnesses associated with the extremely high altitude. The decision was made, at advanced base camp, to turn back and head home and not go on to the summit. The factors in this decision were the fact that they had split up the group, the dangers involved in climbing to the summit, and the fact that some students didn't even want to continue on.

This accomplishment was truly astounding, whether they made it to the summit or not. However, the one gripe I had with the decision making process was that the founder of the school seemed to be slightly infantilizing the students despite the fact that the main theme of the movie (and rightfully so) is that people who are blind are  completely normal people. She seemed to be holding the students back from going on because she believed the students had learned enough from the experience. Frankly, I think that the decision should have been up to the students and the guides. If the guides felt confident that the students could reach the summit safely and the students wanted to continue on, they should have.

Nevertheless, the accomplishment of these young men and women cannot be denied by anyone. This shows the abilities humans possess, whether they have all of their senses or not. It is a truly inspiring story that makes you reflect upon your own life and think about the little things that make your life difficult. It puts things in perspective, for sure.