Essential Question

I have a Ballroom Dancing unit in a few weeks for my k-2 students.


How does dancing enhance one's life physically?

What qualities of dance make it a lifetime activity?

PE and Technology

Japan math video

Amazingly different from what I thought education in Japan would be. I admit that I am in the group with preconceived ideas of what and educational setting would look like in Japan. I was amazed at what seemed to be chaos in the classroom. Coming from PE (which I often refer to as controlled chaos) there does seem to be a level of control from the teacher in what the students are required to do. My concern lies with what the students are doing when not involved in math. You can see two boys getting physical (playfully) when the teacher was involved with other students. In my experiences this can sometime lead to more serious situations very quickly.

The other factor that caught me by surprise was the number of kids in the class. When the video pans over and the line of student continues around the classroom. This again is something that I did not believe happened in Japanese education.

I believe what I saw in the video goes completely against what we are taught as educators but I also believe that this style/method leads to more responsibility for the students. By given more freedom that are responsible for their own learning because they cannot rely on the teacher for constant advice. The students have to find ways to learn that can include conversation with each other which leads to the volume of the class. I also feel that because of the society that they live in, they spend time when they go home and continue to work ( <- yet another preconceived idea?)

Did You Know

When first viewing the video I couldn't help but think about a conversation I had not too long ago with a colleague. To quickly summarize the conversation, we both agreed how poor our handwriting has become due simply to the fact of most written communication now is done on a computer or cell phone. We joked that once we write something down, we cant read it. Technology has become such an enormous force in our daily lives that we have regressed in areas that we learned long ago, like handwriting. Personally, technology has become a surprisingly common place item in my life. Everything from emails to reading books online. This reliance on technology has also spilled into my teaching as well. I recently used video taken on my cell phone to perform a video critique of a skill with a student during the class.

As technology, undoubtedly becomes more popular, the need for student competency with these skill is necessary for them to be successful. Take for example this class, there is no longer a hard copy written assignment. This may be to be more "green" but also because society has taken us in this direction. This will continue to trickle down into the lower grades as technology becomes more prominent. Students will have to know how to use a computer! My impression is that most do. I recently observed a Handicapped Pre-School lesson where the teacher had a student effectively using a smartboard to complete a pattern design. I believe children are much ahead of most teachers when it comes to using technology (at least in my setting).

To move forward from here, I feel that it is the districts responsibility to provide teachers with appropriate professional development in the area of technology that is applicable to the teaching setting. Requiring your PE teachers to participate in Smartboard workshops is not beneficial to them. However, requiring PE teachers to participate in a workshop presented by Polar (heart rate monitor) and the tracking software that they provide would be meaningful. If districts, and society, are moving in the direction of technology based learning that it should be their responsibility to provide learning opportunities for staff members.

I personally feel that technology is a double edged sword. There are many positive paths that can be taken however, at times the technology is not efficient enough to be meaningful. Recently I have been looking into seeking advice from a nutritionist and most are requiring a food journal. I have searched for electronic versions, versions for my Ipod, Blackberry. But it always reverts to me recording in a small notebook with a pen. I have noticed this in the educational setting as well. Technology needs to be two things. First, it needs to be efficient and easy (it could be complicated but easy) to use. Second, learning experiences should benefit from it. It should not simply be an alternative way to teach content.

Being what I consider a relatively new teacher, the growth in technology over the last 15 years has been enormous. There was a time that overhead projectors were the talk of the school. A VCR became a popular tool. Looking at what is available to today's educators and what has become the "norm" of society, there is no reason that we cant energize the learning that goes on. It is a commitment that teachers and districts need to make together because whether we like it our not, technology is becoming very common place. We can embrace it or be left in the dust.