Blog Assignment #12

Instructions

Many people view Physical Education as nothing more than fun and games. For those of you who plan to be Physical Education instructors, it is your job to make sure that it will be a useful learning experience. Read Dylan Blain's post iPads/iPods in PE – Practical Workflow with Edmodo. What is Edmodo? Share your thoughts on Mr. Blain's post and tell us how you would implement it in your classroom. Even if you don't plan to be a PE teacher, it will benefit you to know how important Physical Education is as a learning process.

iPads/iPods in PE – Practical Workflow with Edmodo

Edmodo is used to connect people with the contacts and resources they need to help them reach their full potential. It helps to personalize learning and uses educational apps to enhance learning in the classroom. According to Mr. Blain, this is beneficial in the PE environment because it allows the students to join groups and participate in assigned tasks. For example, say students are learning how to do a particular skill set, such as shooting a lay-up in basketball. The kids can join whichever group they need to in order to work with people who are on the same level of experience. Even though the skill is a lay-up, some students will need to work on jumping off the correct foot when shooting, while others might need to work on shooting with their non-dominant hand. The grouping and tasks that this app provides allows less experienced students to learn at their own pace, rather than getting left behind by those that may already know how to do most of the aspects of that particular skill.

Another reason that Edmodo is great for Physical Education is because of the mobility that it provides. Using an IPod or IPad, images and film can be recorded in the gym or on the field; wherever the lesson is taking place. There is a separate app called Coach's Eye to do that, but Mr. Blain informs us that Edmodo makes it possible for students to access and assess their footage at any time and even create a portfolio. This is one of the most beneficial ways for students to learn because, using the film, they can see specifically what they are doing wrong and how it should be reformed, rather than hearing a teacher tell them how to correct it without a visual to guide them.

As a Physical Education teacher, I will definitely be using Edmodo. Not only will it give my students access to something that will help them see how to correct their movements, but it also allows them to learn how to monitor progress. I think it will be a great motivation for them to be able to watch the footage and see their progression in small steps, and eventually their achievement of the skill. With the video evidence, they can see just how far they have come with the whole process; and they definitely need that reinforcement that they've done a good job! Edmodo will go a long way in terms of organization, and the resources that it will provide me with to help enhance the learning environment of my students will be a positive movement towards making Physical Education a better and more beneficial experience for the whole class.