Technology I use in my Teaching...
Click on the icons below if you're interested in any of the applications I use in my teaching.
Lesson Planning, Grading and Managing Classes...
Planbook.com is where all my lesson planning takes place. The mobile & desktop applications sync seamlessly to give me my day, week or month at a glance so I can see all my classes and what I'm teaching. My favorite part is that all the the K-5 SHAPE America Standards & Grade Level Outcomes are included! Simply tap all the outcomes that your lesson covers and it keeps a running tab of the GLOs you've taught and how many times you've taught them throughout the year!
I use iDoceo because of its power and superior customization. I use it as my gradebook and track everything from attendance to video clips of students performing various skills to capture evidence of student learning. It's a one time purchase with free upgrades. The flexibility to fit your grading and class management style into it the way you want, make it a one stop shop.
Tons of great activity ideas being shared on YouTube. Many PE teachers have created skill, fitness, and dance videos that I use with my students. I use videos as a warmup, for skill development, and even as a closing activity. When I don't want students to see suggested videos or have advertisements pop up, I use ViewPure. Simply copy the YouTube url and paste it into ViewPure and you can view the video in a unique player window that only shows the video without all the extras.
I use this awesome app for randomly making partners, groups or teams. Upload your class lists and you can make groups randomly or select certain students to be separated or grouped together. No more complaining about the fairness of a team or two best friends always being together. Students enjoy letting the app select their groups and so do I. You can set up pre-made groups or do a random shuffle. This saves lots of transitional time as I can display on the projector/TV for students to see and get started quickly.
I use this app to create custom spinners for a variety of activities. You can even have dual spinners on display at the same time. Add pictures, colors, numbers, you name it. It is very user friendly and adds an excitement to any game where a random spinning wheel might be needed.
I use this FREE app to keep score in a variety of activities. Students can type in their name or team name, select a color, and easily subtract or add points. Simple and easy to use.
Student Assessment...tools I use to determine & measure what have students learned
Google Forms are my "go-to" for cognitive assessments. The ability to create a short 3-5 question quiz or survey that takes students 1-2 minutes to complete is awesome! Each question is *required, so students can't submit it until all questions are answered. The great thing about it is that all student answers are immediately sent to a corresponding response spreadsheet upon submission. I type in the correct responses at the top of the sheet, run a Google add-on called Flubaroo, and it grades the entire class's responses in seconds!
An automated student response system using specialized Plicker cards. Class lists are uploaded and each student is assigned a Plicker card number. Question is given and students hold the card up in the air in different orientations depending on their answer. Cards are then scanned using the camera on an iPad or iPhone. Responses are instantly recorded and can be displayed using a projector. This is a great way to quickly assess whether students have the cognitive understanding of a particular concept or skill.
I use the FitStep Stream Bluetooth Pedometers from Gopher Sports to measure student activity levels during class. They measure steps, total activity/movement time, and MVPA (moderate to vigorous physical activity) time. Students press the blue upload button at the end of class and all the data from each student is immediately captured in the software. I use them with students in grades 1-5. The software is available as a free download.
This is a great app that you can use on the iPad and setup on a tripod. You set it to record and then play back on a delay. This way students can perform a skill or movement in front of the camera and then walk over to the iPad to watch/critique their form while the camera is recording the next student. The great thing is that students don't have to touch the iPad, it just runs on a continuous loop of recording and playback based on how many seconds you set the delay. You can even view multiple students in multiple screens! Great feedback tool.
Content Creation...THE one tool I use to create all the content you'll find in my program!
This is software I create all the visual content for my program. Activity sheets, station signs, wall posters, awards, social media graphics, curriculum maps, slideshow presentations, cover art, you name it, it can made with Visme. I really enjoy graphic design and this program has all the tools to do everything I can imagine!
Social Media...used for Professional Development & keeping up on the latest trends in Physical Education
Twitter is a social media app you should be on for connecting with people and sharing content. I find lots of great stuff on Twitter that you can use in your teaching tomorrow. To make the most out of your experience, I would recommend you take the 14-day Twitter challenge to get started!
Voxer takes the professional development experience a step further by having conversations with other PE teachers. There are dozens of #VoxerPE chat groups for anything and everything you're interested in. I've been a part of rich discussions, excellent collaboration projects and access to a whole community of Phys Ed teachers that are striving to be the best they can every day! This sharing, sparking of ideas, and the positive relationships with people I've added to my #PLN are unmatched.