This month I am going to focus on online tools that can be used in Physical Education. I will not be focusing on Software that can be used on a computer, but online tools that are available on the internet. I know there are some great software options available, like Fitness Gram, Polar's Trifit and Bonnie's Fitware, but we will save that for another time and space.

I will, however, provide a brief overview of the various tools available on the internet that I have found in my search, and some possible applications for the classroom. First, I will talk about the various types of web resources, and then I will list those resources that might be beneficial to you and your students.

Then, I will finish by discussing various new trends, and how they might affect us in the near future. Caveat: I can never list all web resources or tools, just the ones I have used, or someone has suggested to me on NASPE TALK.

Scott Tomassetti
Technology Section Editor

Web tools are various online resources you might be able to use with your students to help them gain knowledge, calculate something, retrieve data, and/or warehouse information. These tools are web resources that are either static or dynamic. I will briefly discuss both, and why and when they are important.

STATIC web sites are those web resources that the user cannot interact with, and the content does not change much over time. There are many great static resources available. Online articles on many popular journals, magazines, web sites, and content pages contain static elements. Individuals write a web page and post it for you to see. Although pelinks4u.org's content changes, most of the content is updated statically, unlike the new NASPE Forum that is dynamic.

Static pages are great, and for knowledge based learning a wonderful resource. There are many times when these resources can be utilized by Physical Education: When doing Web Quests (Searches), Web Research on a subject, or trying to find out about something new.

DYNAMIC web tools/sites allow users to interact with them in some way, and most, not all, store and retrieve data. Non data centric tools include things like online Calculators, (Target Heart Rate, BMI, BMR, and more), which you might interact with once, but does not remember what you entered the next time you go to use it. These are very useful when teaching your students about these topics, or need them to compute their own levels and place them in their portfolio. (Examples on a Static Web Page with Dynamic Tools can be found at pe1.org, free to use).

Also in this category are some online databanks like the lesson plans offered at PE Central. They use a database to store the lesson plans by category and topic, and users can retrieve and print them for use. However, the next time you go, you will have to look it up again, because it will not remember you liked that lesson, or when you used it or with whom.

A more user centric version would allow the user to remember what lessons they liked, what grades and dates they used it, and allow the user to make comments about the lessons outcomes. It might also allow the user to create their own lessons, and have a place for a moderator to offer it to others to see if approved. Even though it is not approved for the community to use, the user could still use it.

"I have a dream," or had in this case (I am sure it is being used somewhere now).

The dream starts: A student comes to the gym, and looks up what they planned to do for physical activity that day on their phone. As they are changing, they check their instructor's feedback about yesterday's session, (on their phone).

While students are active the teacher is observing, and then looks up what the students have chosen for physical activity that day on their Tablet PC. The students then finish the activity they had planned, and log the results on their phone. (This takes all of about 15 seconds)

Two other students want to work on their skills for a sport or activity. They check the cues and faults for the skill on their PDA's smart client, and with their partner peer-assess and assess themselves. Together they strategize on how they might improve, and then their Physical Educator/Wellness Instructor gives them some feedback and records it.

Others in the class are involved in team task challenges, and are recording their plans, modifications, and debriefs on the task on a class laptop. The team then assesses themselves on the results. The teacher provides feedback and assessment for all on their Tablet.

Now as a student goes home, their phone buzzes. It is a reminder texted/emailed to all students that (on their PDA/phone) tells them of an assignment. The student must keep a meal log for three days, and plan a weeks worth of meals. The student then sits down with their laptop and records the night's meal. While on the site, the student sees that they have just about eaten as many calories as she/he has exercised calories away.

The student remembers something they had read in a web quest assignment about weight loss. Therefore, the student's plan is to keep up with their current activity plan, but to create a new eating plan that might reduce their caloric intake by 200-500 calories, and eat healthy like she/he has for the past three days. In conclusion, she/he states that if they do this, she/he might loose weight over time, (about 1 or 2 lbs per week as recommended).

At the end of the semester the students self-assess their own progress as a homework assignment, and create strategies for doing as well or better next term. The teacher responds by providing feedback, and requests a face to face review on one student's to-do list. The student and teacher check the student's self-assessment for accuracy, and modify her plan to prevent burnout. The instructor also suggested more diversity in her activity choices, and makes some suggestions for food choices in her two week meal plan. They modified both the meal and activity plan together. At the end of the meeting, the student is awarded a personal best pin for meeting their goals.

Later that week, the parent checks on their desktop to see how their child is doing and can see their daughter/son's has earned an award for reaching a personal best. The parent messages the school's administrator about what a great job the wellness instructor has done preparing their child for a healthy future. The Administrator checks from their desktop to see how all the students are doing. The Administrator immediately text messages the District Supervisor's phone, telling them what a great job the Wellness Instructor has done with this student and all students. Later the Supervisor instant messages (IMs) the teacher, "Great Job, keep up the great work!"

I wake up, and reality sets in. I have to give kids a paper and pencil journal/worksheets, and place the students' scores in a file portfolio where it will never again be seen or used by anyone. There is way too much displaced data for interpretation or for longitudinal tracking, no money or resources for these tools, and way too many papers lying about. Lost sheets, unfinished work, no way to provide feedback, and then… frustration sets in.

Wow, now this is reality. (See personal note >>)

Web Applications are dynamic pages that maintain data stores for users, and that users can interact with over time. Discussion boards like NASPE Forum here on pelinks4u.org, are common examples of a web application. There are many other types of Dynamic Web Applications, and I will list a few examples: Blogs, Exercise Logs, Diet Logs, and lesson planners. Many of these tools are what are called, "Data Driven" web sites. That is because the site or page sends information to a data store, and retrieves it later when asked.

Some great online logs already exist, like: LOGIT and Get Active, Stay Active, The President Challenge, and others).

The new wave in web centric applications are 'smart clients' that utilize what is called 'Web Services' to interact with the data store. These smart clients are local applications that synchronize with an online data store when an internet connection becomes available. This trend is gaining in popularity with smart phones, and Pocket PC Devices, as well as Blog sites that have XML Readers (XML Readers are new age email clients or list serves, sort of).

Blogs are a very popular way to provide services, information, or to communicate in near real time, (Blog is an acronym for an online log or journal someone keeps). I keep a Blog as I develop my web applications, and during its pilot this fall. Blogs are especially popular with tweens and teens. Health and Physical Education teachers concerned with personal wellness might have students keep an online journal to help them sort out personal thoughts and feelings.

Another new, not so new, type of web application is the Web Portal. Yahoo, MSN and others, are forms of a web portal where the user can choose the content they wish to be available to their pages. A new form of portal is a Dynamic Portal where users can interact with this content as well. Blackboard, Moodle, Class Server, and other Course Management Systems (CMS) are Dynamic Web Portals.

In development now are Smart Client Dynamic Portals that are available for your desktop, laptop, PDA, or even your phone. These clients are flexible, and scalable enough to provide new content or capabilities on demand. They utilize the power of the clients desktop, and the conveniences and communication ability of the internet to provide a richer user experience, (So they say). With more devices and faster internet access for PDA's and Phones, Smart Clients and Mobile Web Applications are how the new phone and PDA capabilities are being developed.

This NEW tool should be available with a single sign-on method (that means you can access all your tools from one place, using one username and password on many types of devices), and should be available on a multitude of devices. It should be flexible and scalable to offer new parts as they become available. The program should be student centered, not teacher centered, and focused on individual goals and performance, which is based on established rubrics and standards.

Anyone who shares this dream may certainly respond on my Blog where I have this posted. Make a comment or two, and read how the development of such a program is progressing (has progressed). Well, at least a Physical Educator's shot at it.

Sometimes reaching outside of someone else's norms is difficult at best.

This dream has been so strong in me that I couldn't help but begin to make it a reality. When I began this quest some time ago, that was my reality. I had no money to buy someone else's programs, so I started to learn how to create my own. It has lead me to new learning experiences, and many frustrations.

Although I have taken a few steps backward to go forward, as of late, I hope to begin my dream again in reality this time. Although I might be living my dream vicariously through others, I thank them for that opportunity. Thanks Joe!

Academic performance in Maine K-12 schools is the highest in the nation, yet, like many states across the U.S., Maine is moving beyond academics to address the whole child. One focus in their efforts is physical fitness. Read the rest...