FINAL RELFLECTION

To be honest, I didn’t have the greatest attitude coming into this class. I thought it was just a required computer class for PETE that would review the basics, such as PowerPoint, excel, word and stuff like that. However; I have learned a great deal. There were a few things that were a review like PowerPoint and iMovie, but creating a website, Googledocs, StudioCode, blogging, and Web 2.0 were all brand new things that I have never done before. I am confident in my ability in using these sources and will definitely use them when I am teaching my classes. One of my favorite things that we learned to do was in creating our own website, we learning how to use Googledocs and how to set up a schedule using the calendar provided on Google. This will really come in handy in teaching and in coaching. Whether it is scheduling your lessons that will be taught throughout the unit, or posting when practice will be and what we will be covering. I not only enjoyed working with it because I knew it would be useful, but also because it was very user friendly and not as frustrating as some technology can be.

I know I will use technology in my class on a day-to-day basis, whether it is iMovie, PowerPoint, my own websites, Internet Searching, Web 2.0, Googledocs or all the above. In addition, I know iMovie will come in hand quite often with coaching basketball. Not always making a movie production, but filming by players and then using iMovie to import it and watch it will be very useful.This class has opened my eyes to the world of technology and made me realize that teaching doesn’t have to be the same old boring lesson plans, you can incorporate technology into your lessons and make it 10 times better! I have always enjoyed using technology, well…as long as I was familiar with it. Usually, I am pretty good about figuring stuff out on my own; yet, sometimes it can be tricky and you just have to ask. I learned this with my StudioCode experience. I really am glad we learned the programs we did, and really do feel they will benefit me in my future teaching. In addition to these new programs, I learned two things…1-It is going to be impossible for me to teach PE without using some type of technology. 2-My class is going to be the best PE in the area because of it! Thanks DanJ

StudioCode

This was one of those projects that take forever to learn how to use at first, but then once you get it, it’s a piece of cake.

I was out of town traveling for basketball and missed all the instruction on StudioCode, so it was me, the rubric, and the computer in the lab for about 5 hours. It was quite frustrating at first. Just like anything, trying to learn a new foreign program is like taking a vacation to China and not knowing a lick of Chinese. Anyway, I started exploring things and the step-by-step sheet that Dan gave us would have worked perfectly, but for some reason I was having some technical difficulties with my StudioCode and had to shut down and restart the program about three times. Then my prayers were answered as a second year PETE student came in and started coding one of her videos on StudioCode! So I asked her a few questions and then I was on a roll.

Once I got the hang of the program, I can see why it is very useful to the PETE program. You can really analyze your teaching and break it down into any categories you want. When I was coding my “feedback” under instruction, I was very surprised to see how many times I actually gave positive feedback. Also, I learned that it is very important to repeat the rules and instructions and make sure you have the class’ full attention before giving them. I realized that a lot of my teaching time was spent on disciplinary actions and that took away from valuable teaching time. I also realized that using a student as a demo, can be very effective and helpful to the flow of my lessons. Lastly, I realized that I didn’t circulate around the class as well as I thought I did, and teaching from different angles not only enhances the lesson, but also decreases the temptation for students to be off task.

As you can see, StudioCode has been very beneficial to helping me improve on my teaching and also it has been beneficial to learn the program because we will be using it a lot next semester and next year.

Web 2.0

I was gone for this class, because I was out of town for a basketball game, but I got together with a classmate and she went over Web 2.0 and what was discussed in class. She also showed me the video and I was very intrigued.

I am blown away as I learn more and more about technology; everyday there are new, better, faster ways of doing things. The video was very fascinating as I saw all the things you can do digitally now. For example, being able to link articles to people’s blogs, websites, emails, and social network accounts. What is even more interesting is that I am just learning about this and it is all new to me, but in the world of technology, it is old news and new things are already being discovered…mind-boggling, I know.

I am going to have my students do a similar activity when I become a teacher because I thought that having us surf the net was a great idea because it gave us options and some control of what we doing and which aspect of Web 2.0 we were learning about. I learned that Web 2.0 is a pretty big deal and you can even become a fan and follow postings of other fans. I am going to make sure my students are aware of all the possibilities with Web 2.0 and let them explore. I know there is still much I have to learn, but I can’t wait to be able to use it when I have a class of my own.

Watch-n-learn…Teaching on Tape

In my opinion, this is the best way to become a better teacher. After finishing a lesson, you have an idea of how it went. You may think you did good overall or very bad overall, but after watching yourself on film; your view on that lesson can change completely! I remember watching me teach my first lesson and was I in for a treat. It was a huge wakeup call. I had no idea I said “you guys” that many times, or that I played with the whistle around my neck like that.

Filming yourself teach opens new doors that were not there before. By observing yourself on tape, you allow yourself the opportunity to see your lesson from a different point of view, from the outsider’s perspective. Like I said earlier, taping yourself is so good because it allows you to pick up on the little minute details that you might not otherwise see if you didn't videotape yourself teaching. Then after watching and evaluating, you can take note of what you need to change and implement those things in your future lessons. Watching yourself on film can be painful at times, but I know it is the best way to improve and will make me a better teacher in the long run.

iMovie Relflection

Wow, Finally done! I really do enjoy using technology and creating a movie like this; however, I am a perfectionist and it takes me a lot longer than it should. Nonetheless, I did learn a ton from this project. Mostly, I realized how important it is to know how to use iMovie because it can be tremendously useful both as a teacher and a coach. If I am coaching, I can film players while they are performing a certain skill and this allows them to watch themselves and be able to critique or change something if need be. For example, a coach can tell you, “Keep your elbow in when you shoot” and you can think you are doing it, but by watching yourself on film, you can really see that coach is right and you can make adjustments accordingly.

As a teacher, I can use these videos to help a brand new class learn a more difficult skill. The lessons that may have been extremely hard to teach, can be made simple with iMovie. Plus, the kids would be that much more interested in the lesson if they got to watch a movie showing them how to do it! I really think that I can help my students understand and learn better because of the visual aspect of these videos.

iMovie Finished Product! How to Shoot a Basketball

I uploaded my video to YouTube, but it didn't load the audio with it, so I'm just going to post it on here using quicktime.

Enjoy!

imovie project outline

I have used imovie once or twice in high school, but it has been awhile so I am excited to get to use it again! Also, each time I use it, I learn different things and discover new tricks that I didn't know before.

For my video I am going to have someone film me teaching the correct way to shoot a basketball. I will break it down to simple and easy cues and then perform the finished motion many times so they can watch and learn. I will have narration as well as text in my video. When breaking down the technique, I will also add in some still shots to emphasize the correct form. Then to top it all off, I will add in some background music for some sweet effects. I hope it all goes well and not too many problems come about. I know it will happen, it is technology, it is inevitable. However, I am excited to start, Bring it on!