This months technology section will be a reporting of the happenings at this year's AAHPERD National Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, March 12th to the 17th. This is thanks to my wonderful Principal, Josephine Smith, who encourages professional development, and provided the funding for the trip.

The main focus will be on the technology workshops offered, the hot old and new technologies from the exhibitors, and a few tidbits from other important workshops I attended that have a technology component to them. By doing this, it is my hope that I can provide you with some of the great information presented at this year's workshops.

Scott Tomassetti
Technology Section Editor

VIDEO EDITING WORKSHOPS

There were several workshops focused on creating videos. As you know, I am a big believer in digital photography and video presentations created for and by students. Because the conference computer lab was PC based, all video editing was done based on the free downloadable Windows Movie Maker.

David Wittenburg, Ph.D., from University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, presented a session called: Be Visible: Developing a Presentation to Promote Physical Education in the Community.

His session focused on creating a video to promote physical education. Dr. Wittenburg suggested using a particular framework when creating an effective presentation for a specific audience. The session was attended by over 100 participants with only 20 computers. For the 20 participants at the computers, the session was hands-on and lead to the creation of an end product.

Video is a powerful tool, and Dr. Wittenburg's pattern can help your videos to be more effective. Feel free to view and download Dr. Wittenburg's PowerPoint Presentation.

Snips, Clips and Video: Ways to Promote and Fund Raise for your Physical Education Program was presented Kathy Ermler, Ed.D. From Emporia State University. Dr. Ermler's focus was broader, talking about the various uses of video technology, with examples for each type. This session was not hands-on however, because Dr. Ermler was not told she would be in the computer lab, but in a lecture hall without computers available.

Dr. Ermler went over a new interesting use for video and voice called podcasting. Podcasting is where you upload your video or audio to itunes.com, and parents and students can subscribe to the RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed so that they are informed of any new content. Gerry Cernicky, a fellow Technology Section Editor for pelinks4u, and a frequent NASPE Talker, has a podcast available called PE Talk.

Dr. Ermler also mentioned the creation of Videos for use as a fundraiser. Use pictures and video of students performing various physical activity in physical education by placing them on a CD or DVD, packaging them, and selling them to parents during the holidays and end of the year celebrations.

Dr. Ermler also mentioned and demonstrated many types of video and picture software, both for Mac and PC, with iMovie and Movie Maker being the main tools, as they are low cost and no cost respectfully. Adobe Premiere and PhotoShop are the main tools used by professionals, but for simplicity and costs sake, iTunes and Movie Maker do the trick.

I use Movie Maker exclusively because of its simplicity and ease of use in creating web enabled video in .wmv format. Dr. Ermler recommends using QuickTime Pro to render into MPEG4 format for podcasts, which is both for Mac and PC and available through Apple.com for $29.99. To view Dr. Ermler's presentation from the conference you may download it here.

Movie Making Can Be Fun was presented by three lovely ladies from Virginia, lead by Beth Harvey, Misti Wajciechowski, and Rita Driscoll. These three ladies did a bang-up job demonstrating exactly how to use Movie Maker to create a video with your students. I liked this session because it emphasized the student's using technology to create their own video clips.

In addition, it demonstrated and allowed for hands-on use of the technology and how to use Movie Maker. Of course Movie Maker has its limitations, but for the price, who can argue? You may download their presentation here.

I have used, or seen being used, many types of video editing software. The high end of the scale would be Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, Mac's Final Cut Pro, or Avid Liquid Pro. A step down from there in price and features would be Pinnacle Studio 10, iMovie, and others. The Freebee of the bunch is Movie Maker. If you are a beginner to video, iMovie is outstanding if you own a Mac. Movie Maker however is a good compromise, and Microsoft has many online help features and tutorials to get you up and running.

There are many uses for video, and at the high end is video skills analysis and assessment. Dartfish is the major player in video tape skill analyses, and was a company at the AAPHERD Convention with their tools on display. Dartfish is primarily a high performance athletic skill analysis tool, and is used by universities and high schools throughout the country.

For most situations iMovie and Movie Maker fit the bill, and allow students to be involved in the process. It is fun, inexpensive, and interdisciplinary.

To create videos for use in physical education you need a Digital Video (DV) Camera. Most DV cameras require a Firewire connection or adapter to capture the video to the computer from your video editing software (iMovie or Movie Maker). These days you can get a decent camera for around $300 starting with, of course, Sony and then Cannon and Panasonic being the major players in the DV Camera market.

If you are going to be doing any production quality video's, I recommend getting the highest CCD level you can get. Sony makes a 3 CCD model Sony DCR-VX2100 which costs about $2000, but is well worth the price. Sony also makes a high definition DV Camera, HDR-FX1, for around $3300. At the lower end of the spectrum, you can get a Canon ZR850 for less than $300. See www.Cnet.com for their camcorder picks.

You can also create video from many digital still cameras with the ability to create video clips. Canon's digital camera produces a video that is editable within Movie Maker. My SD600 is the best camera I have owned, and that is saying something. I have owned Olympus, Sony, Kodak and Nikon compact digital cameras. The SD600 is small, durable, and takes great photos indoors and out, even in lower light situations. CNET rating for Canon cameras is always the highest for compact digital photography for the consumer.

      ...at the 2007 AAHPERD Conference

There were many exciting new, and not so new, technology exhibits at this year's AAHPERD conference. The list to follow will not be all inclusive, as that would be impossible. Instead I will try to point out the hot products from the show that looked of quality and warranted inclusion here.

PEDOMETERS

Although not even close to new, pedometers still catch my eye as a great tool for students to track both distance and intensity. I have to mention New Lifestyles pedometers as being one of the top pedometers for you to consider, as they provided Jeff Walkuski and I with 20 pedometers for our session participants to use during Learning Through Movement. They have been tested, and are used in many studies for this reason. New Lifestyles' DigiWalker SW 200 would be my choice, and they are made by Yamax.

Accusplit was providing $5 pedometers for convention participants at their booth. Accusplit is another quality built pedometer choice. Walk-4-Life also had a booth at the convention, and is also a good choice for use in physical education classes.

I tend to stick with one or two function pedometers as I'm in an Elementary setting. I have used many types of pedometers, mostly the cheap versions that are given away by coke, and our cities nutritional program even gave each student in our school one last year. I do not recommend these types of pedometers. They are very inaccurate and last about a day or two at best. I have also used the sportline versions you can buy at Walmart for $3.99. Although somewhat better, they are not accurate enough for comparison or tracking purposes.

HEART RATE MONITORS

I have a pension for using heart rate monitors to individualize intensity for each student.

Polar was of course there in force with the strapped versions of heart rate monitors and their electronic tracking systems for teachers. Polar is a great choice for high schools looking to develop advance athletic skills.

Ekho is another great choice in strapped heart rate monitors. They build a quality unit that allows for changing of batteries, and a count down calorie counter. You set the number of calories you want to burn, and when accomplished it beeps.

Reebok, a relative new comer to the heart rate bizz, and has both strapped and strapless heart rate monitors. Being in an elementary setting I like, and have used for years, many types of strapless heart rate monitors. I will be buying Reebok when I get back to CT. At $50 a unit for a quality product, even MIO cannot beat that.

DDR IN FORCE

Again, although not new, Dance Dance Revolution was the hit of the show. There were more that 10 different companies showing off their DDR Units. I will not be mentioning all of the companies, but will be talking about my choice in DDR Pads. Last year I bought some less expensive units from an unnamed company, and one came that did not work at all, and the other lasted two weeks. I have since talked to the district sales person for this unnamed company, and it has been 2 months with no response. I plan to buy pads again, but this time I want ones that will last, with a warrantee from a REPUTABLE Company.

At the top of the DDR Pad market, at $4295, is the Cobalt Flux Pulse Dance System. I have never even had that much money in my budget before, so that model is out. However the Cobolt Flux – School Grade Pads are only $895 per unit. Two would be around $1700 before discount. My principal gave me a $3000 budget. These two pads and a good set of pedometers and 10 new HR Monitors will just about fit into that scenario.

One vendor offered DDR rentals where they come in with the equipment for a day to a week and the whole class can be involved (C'Motion: www.startacmotion.com ). They are using top of the line Cobalt Flux Systems, and provide quality instruction. I witnessed a demonstration at the exposition with their system, kids, and their instructor. Quite dynamic.

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VIRTUAL REALITY GAMES & FITNESS EQUIPMENT

The best and most expensive technology treats at the 2007 AAHPERD Convention Exhibition was the virtual reality devices. The WOW! factor was at an all time high, but the OOH! factor was also. So put this in your 'What if' file.

Cybex's Trazer was a game console with heart rate monitoring and motion sensing that allows students to play active games while monitoring fitness levels. It even has a tracking system.

Sportwall: Interactive Group Training Stations. Throwing, striking, or hitting an object at the wall will register points and record results. This type of equipment is very dynamic and encourages activity with the participants, and at the same time it encourages accuracy.

VIRTUAL REALITY BIKES

The S2 from Expresso Fitness is a top of the line virtual reality bike with state of the art animation and graphics straight from Silicone Valley. This bike is made to take a lickin' and keep on tickin.' Although I did not get a price tag on this machine, I am guessing it is the $5000 range or more.

RKADE by ITech Fitness is a virtual reality arcade type environment where many types of machines are combined in a 2010 youth fitness center. An X games type device form iTech Fitness is the X-Board: A skateboard VR game. I demoed this device and it was a blast. I'm not sure of the OOH! cost factor.

I can foresee in the not so distant future a motion arcade where all the equipment is linked to a *FitLinx Type system tracking youth clients' activity levels. Someone will call it The Kid-Motion Wellness Center or some other catchy name on the banner outside the place, and there will be lines waiting at each machine. Cha'Ching. Then those not so active teens and tweens will be getting their game dose, and healthy activity dose all at the same time.

*FitLinx is a software/hardware physical activity tracking system used by many wellness centers and hospitals. The FitLinx representative said that they are now in wellness centers in Chicago area high schools. A system for a small to medium sized school wellness center would run about $35,000, but would change the way we teach today.

I went to two Physical Best/Fitness Gram Training Sessions for Trainers, and I am a big fan and adopter of the philosophy. We, in Connecticut, are trying to move toward Fitness Gram and Physical Best, but are still using the Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment.

The Fitness Gram 8.0 program is a big leap forward from 6.0, but still needs a few modifications that will be coming in the next version, like: Web Access! In talking with Kathy, the Human Kinetics Project Manager for Fitness Gram, we should see this sometime in 2008 or 2009. There are three versions of Fitness Gram, the stand alone, network version, and SQL Version. Baltimore just adopted the SQL version, and praises its ability to view students' data from various schools from a central place, and query the data through a relational database.

Dr. Corbin also unveiled his new Middle School version of Fitness for Life Series of Instructional Manuals. As part of his book, Dr. Corbin has created both web resources, assessments, and computer games that come free with the adoption of the Fitness for Life Program. The Human Kinetic People also provided a free copy of the book to all participants of the session. Thank you Dr. Corbin.

The program had technology resources, and hint of when and how to use them in every chapter. Therefore, if it was a best practice to use heart rate monitors with a lesson, then the chapter would have a bubble recommending this practice to the teacher.

I had a chance to interview Dr. Corbin one-on-one prior to the session, and he was enthusiastic about the technology integration opportunities offered in the Middle School Version. Being in Elementary School, I meant to ask him when I could expect an elementary version, but was remiss. As usual Dr. Corbin's presentation was informative and uplifting.

I was lucky enough to have met Jeff Walkuski, from SUNY Cortland, who asked me to join him in presenting at this year's AAHPERD Conference a session called "Learning Through DOING." Although the session wound up being a big success, and attended by over 60 people, it did not begin that way. I thought we had the first session, which would provide us time to set up and get our technology stuff together, but no. Our ballroom was the only room being used before 7:30 am.

Then when I went to connect my laptop, and old Dell Latitude, the cursor kept jumping all over the screen. I could not move it and keep it over the necessary icons to open anything. Well after several reboots, and much todo later, we got the overhead and laptop to work long enough to show a video of my students performing their daily class routine. Although I could not show the PowerPoint and Assessment by then, I had copied everything into a packet for everyone the night before, and all was well.

Since it was an activity focused session, it worked out fine, and in the long run maybe better. If you are interested, online resources for Jeff and my session can be found at http://pe1.org/aahperd.

All in all, I think this year's AAHPERD Convention was outstanding. Congratulations to the presenters, coordinators, and AAHPERD.