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!

imovie

We started working with imovie in class and it was actually a lot of fun. Trying to figure things out on your own can be frustrating at times, but after exploring and playing around with it, I started to get the hang of it....right when class was over! I am glad we are learning to work with imovie and think that it will be very beneficial to know how to use the program. It will be nice to be able to download our PE teaching videos and make a movie presentation out of it. imovie will also be useful when teaching a class, instead of strickly verbal lessons or powerpoint, you could add in some imovies, which would add to your lectures and make them way for enjoyable for you students. Overall, learning to use imovie will be very useful for my future plans, and I am glad we are starting to work with it.

Internet Safety

Internet Safety is very important to know about it and follow! I already knew about the many cautions that you should be aware of when using the internet;however, it was extremely useful to learn about it in more detail as I searched it online and watched the tutorials. It made me want to edit my facebook and blog and make sure that there wasn't too much personal information posted about me and that the pictures were only marked to be seen by friends. Even then, you never know how safe you are. There are a lot of creeps out there that are pretty smart and will do anything to get ahold of valuable information like that. Overall, it made me a lot more cautious about my internet use and I really did go through all the stuff I have posted online and edit it, making sure it's safe. This applies to teens, because they are the main target. I bet 95% of all teenagers have a facebook or a myspace where there are pictures and information posted about themselves everywhere. It is vital that they understand the seriousness of it and that they know about the scary people out there who will do anything to get ahold of their information, pictures, or even better, both together.

MY LESSON-After learning about Internet safety online, I taught my mom about it. I don’t have any younger siblings since I am the youngest. But I have always been the one to teach my mom about technology, computers, cell phones, the works. I think because I am the only one that is patient enough to go through it as slow as she needs and even I can’t take it sometimes. Anyhow, I knew quite a bit about Internet safety already because we had someone come talk to us about it in high school; however, it was good to review and learn new things as I searched online.

The sites I read, talked a lot about safety protection and about being involved with what your kids are doing online. Also talked a lot about identity theft and how you should be careful about publishing personal information. Also, if you happen to post some personal info and pictures, make sure it is only viewable to friends and people you know, rather than to the whole entire world.

Lastly, as I taught my mom about the precautions she should be taking and the possible traps that are out there, it was a good review for me as I post information about myself online. Sometimes I forget that many people can get access to it even when I have my profiles set to be seen only by my friends. It was a good experience for me to share this with my mother and be able to teach her about important things she can use as she updates her Facebook and family Blog everyday.

Finished Website!

It is done...finally! After some time and frustration, this is what I came up with.

http://sites.google.com/site/pe4littleu/

Website

This assignment to create a class website is going to be very similar to creating this blog...a lot of trial and error. It would be easier if I have created a website before, yet unfortunately I have not and will be starting from scratch. It will be an enjoyable assignment in the long run; however, it can get pretty frustrating when trying to figure out things for the first time. When completed, this website can be useful for future classes I teach and possibly use in my occupation. I have just started, so it is going pretty slow. Nonetheless, I am glad we get the opportunity to create a website because I have always wanted to in the past, just never got around to it. So here goes!

Reflection #3- Copyright

Just as there are always two sides to everything, I firmly believe that there are positives and negatives to Copyrighting. Of course it is important for people's work to be safe and protected; however it seems like we are hardly allowed any freedom when writing a paper, or creating a powerpoint, or doing various tasks as assignments for class. It is important read and learn about copyright, because there are many rules that I had no idea about. Also, I when it doubt, ask or cite in anyways. For there are some serious fines for violating these rules and it would be horrible to get caught up in trap like that, especially if you were not aware of that specific rule. Once again...better to be safe than sorry!

Class Resources

Have you ever had the thought, "Wow, I wish I would have known that before?" Well, that is kinda what went through my head when professor Randall showed us all those websites last week in class. They were all great websites and could be useful in every day life as a college student. I would love to use all of them, especially Zotero. In my opinion, 0ne of the worst parts about writing a paper is having to cite your sources at the end. What do you know...we have a website now that will do that dirty work for you! I am going to be using it on all my future papers. Also, Diigo is a very useful website as we do most of our reading online now, you can just high light and make notes right onto your web page. These sites are very beneficial and not only make life as a student easier, but also as a teacher. They also need to take notes off a website for lesson plans, or they can even be used to share with their students. Time is precious, and we are all looking for ways to save it. These will surely do the trick!

I won't be selfish...so here you go!

http://www.diigo.com/

http://www.zotero.org/

http://www.w3schools.com/

A man's best friend

Many people will see this blog and wonder why there is a random picture of a dog on my sidebar? Well...I added "The Daily Puppy" because there are few things in this life that make EVERYONE happy, and I'd have to say that puppies are one of them. No matter what kind of mood you are in, seeing a cute, cuddly puppy or maybe even getting to hold or play with one will brighten anyones day in a jiffy! Don't you agree? Enjoy the cute lil' guys.

For the love of the game...

Many people have asked my, "Why PE teaching and coaching?" My answer is the same every time. Simply because I love it! I love to be around the game. I just recently changed my major from exercise science and I feel like it was this past summer that really made up my mind for me. I have coached at the BYU basketball camps the past two summers and I have absolutely loved it. However, I got a little bit bigger taste of what coaching is really like as I helped coach the Utah Flight, a traveling club team. I coached 8th and 9th grade girls and I had a blast! I not only learned a lot, but I also realized that that is where I fit, and that it what I love to do...Coach! The moment I got back, I called up my advisor and told her I wanted to change my major, so I removed myself from Exercise Science and now here I am in the PETE program.:)

Technology

I know many people have mixed feelings about technology...but for the most part, if you are younger than the "baby-boomer" generation then you absolutely love it. Think of life before email and Internet...even more thought provoking, think of life before cell phones;)I know you all remember many years ago when you set up for first email account. What a day huh! Not to mention, just last year the headache it was to try and set up your parents first email account. And don't even think about trying to teach them to text....Which brings up another point, isn't it crazy how you are just accustomed to something when you grow up with it? For example, now-a-days kids, as soon as they can talk, are asking for cell phones and laptops. What are they going to do with a cell phone?! Overall, I have been so impressed with the amazing race to release the smaller, faster, and better devices to make our life that much simpler. Besides the few glitches and defects that en-company computers and cell phones, I am a huge fan of any gadget that speeds up the process and lessons the effort I have to put forth in my everyday activities. Some might call that lazy, but I think it's just plain smart!

Now that my opinion on technology is out, I am excited for this semester and look forward to learning more about computers and the programs we will be working with. I feel like I have a pretty solid foundation on the basic Microsoft word, excel, powerpoint, and in the graphic areas. I have worked a little with designing and imovie; however, I would love to learn more and be able to enhance my teaching with the many sources of technology today!