This month in Technology for Physical Education we have a variety of topics that will hopefully show you that technology is not just for computers, game stations, and cell phones. These days we're seeing technology in our clothing, shoes, and of course one of the best places, in the class room.

Technology is a double edged sword, as it can lead to increased and decreased participation in Physical education and fitness. Technology may help us plan curriculums, track workouts, educate us on nutrition, and give some athletes/students the opportunity to participate in physical fitness, but it can also cause us to become "mouse potatoes," spending hours in front of our computers or video games, contributing to a sedentary lifestyle. However, it's our job as teachers, coaches, and even parents to help keep technology, and how we use it, in balance.

This month I was particularly excited to discuss the new joint effort of Nike and Apple. Using an iPod and shoes, we can track goals - tracking your time, distance, pace, and calories burned all while it sets your music to your workout pace. You can find information about this product in the section immediately below this editorial. Check the top, middle column for more information and customers reviews on this product.

Along the same line, I am happy to provide you with links (from PE Central) to different activities you can do with your students using just a pedometer, all the while implementing other disciplines: science, math, geology and more.

Enjoy this months technology section and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Andrea Vermef
Technology Section Editor

Technology is getting amazing. It's advanced outside the realm of our computers and CD's into our shoes, and even into our workouts. One new invention is a joint development by Nike and Apple.

At the time of the announcement (May 2006) the Nike+iPod Sport Kit was to be out in two months. The Nike+iPod Sport Kit is "a wireless system, so some Nike shoes embedded with a sensor can communicate with Apple's iPod Nano music player to track a runner's performance and help choreograph songs to the moment."

Data on running time, distance, pace and calories burned would be stored on the iPod, which could then display the information on-screen, or deliver it audibly through headphones. After the workout, the data also could be automatically sent to a personal runner's log at the new nikeplus.com website whenever the music player is synchronized to Apple's iTunes program.

Read more on this product, and the Nike+iPod Sport Kit can now be found at nikeplus.com.

	Tune - Insert the wireless sensor inside the custom, built-in pocket beneath the insole of your Nike+ shoe, then plug the receiver into the Dock connector on your iPod nano.
	Run - Now start your workout. As you run or walk, the sensor sends information to your iPod nano, tracking your time, distance, pace, and calories burned. If you choose, real-time, spoken feedback can even alert you to milestones throughout your workout.
	Sync - Back at your computer, sync your iPod nano to transfer your workout data to iTunes and nikeplus.com. There, you can evaluate your performance history, set goals, and even challenge other runners to a virtual race.

Yourself!Fitness - Enter your vital statistics and CG fitness guru Maya will develop a personalized regimen for you. Then she'll coax you through more than 500 distinct exercises, including lunges, curls, and squats. Maya will even help plan your diet. The game, developed by ResponDesign, is available for Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 2.

EyeToy: Kinetic - Beware: This PS2 title knows when you're slacking off. Kinetic uses the EyeToy camera peripheral to track the direction and speed of your movements. The game, a collaboration between Sony and Nike's Innovation Kitchen, offers a series of 12-week exercise programs. Workout modes include rhythm-based aerobics, relaxing tai chi, and action-packed Tae Bo-style combat.

Fitness Challenge - The game designed for the wannabe exerciser, those who want to exercise and lose weight, but haven't figured out how to get it in gear.

"No Sweat" Fitness Board Game - EXERCISES THE BODY AND THE MIND! No Sweat takes your participants to their very own Fitness Competition Arena where they compete against other players to win the Gold Medal in Track and Field. A roll of the dice determines whether you must exercise or play on. Losing a challenge can cost you big bucks; money that you will need to pay your way to succeed. Players are required to perform basic movements such as jumping jacks and push-ups right in the classroom or workout area. 2-6 players, ages 8-adult.

Pros: A tiny pair of wireless add-ons that turn an iPod nano and a pair of shoes into a miniature personal running or power walking tracker, adding easy-to-use time, distance, and calorie-based workout options to the nano's existing menus. Impressive male or female voice feedback automatically or manually updates you on your progress towards goals without requiring you to look at the screen, or interrupting your music; on-iPod and on-computer data viewing options able you to track your performance over time. Spectacular Nikeplus.com web design makes comparative data viewing fun; integration with iTunes makes it easy. Reliable, generally accurate accelerometer hardware, backed by a wide variety of good shoe designs.

Find out more, and see what actual users have to say.

Sensors Have Expanding Opportunities for Use in Wearable Devices for Health Monitoring

As the population ages, and there is increasing concern about maintaining one's health, sensors are expected to have increasing opportunities for use in wearable systems to provide real-time information about vital signs and other physiological indicators of health and fitness, such as energy expenditure. Such wearable body monitoring systems are expected to find greater use in such applications as home health monitoring, fitness centers, elderly care facilities, as well as in physicians offices, health research studies, and potentially corporate wellness programs. Read about sensors in health care monitoring, and the use of sensors, specifically, in the SenseWear armband by BodyMedia.

When most people think back to their own PE days in school, we often think of hardwood floors, jump ropes, basketball hoops, and probably the old bleachers that push together.

However, it seems as technology advances, so does the need for youth to not only be physically active, but to be educated on what that entails. For an Illinois Junior High school it seems that they're getting a good look at how technology can help kids be healthier.

From the heart-rate monitors that students wear during their weekly 12-minute run/walk (a healthier version of the traditional one-mile run), to a comprehensive computer-based fitness station where students measure everything from strength and flexibility to cholesterol levels, Madison Junior High has embraced the use of state-of-the-art tools to support the physical health and education of its adolescent students.

To date, the Naperville School District has spent $450,000 on high-tech P.E. tools for junior and senior high school students.

	Not Your Mother's - or Father's - P.E. Lawler, who in addition to his job at Madison coordinates the P.E. program for the entire Naperville Community Unit School District, has been advocating what you might call an enlightened approach to physical fitness for nearly 13 years. As the impetus for his department's switch from an old-style P.E. curriculum - where speed and ability were paramount - to a program that emphasizes fitness and well-being, not athleticism.
	Monitoring Performance Whether they're working out on the fitness machines or participating in the cardio run/walk, students wear heart-rate monitors, giving both themselves and their instructors an accurate picture of the intensity of their workout. Students routinely talk about being "in their target zone," signifying that they're maintaining a healthy heart rate while exercising.
	Spreading the Word None of the changes at Madison would have been possible, says Lawler, without the commitment of his staff and the school and district administrators to ongoing professional development. In addition to taking courses and attending local and national conferences, once a year Naperville physical education instructors participate in a daylong physical education institute, complete with guest speakers, workshops, and product information.

Combat Zone Fighting Arena
The New Combat Zone Fighting Arena, with 4 RF interactive body sensors connected to each foot and hand, lets you mimic every move of your favorite fighting character. With the PS2 Combat Zone Fighting Arena, left, right, up and down movements are controlled via a mat with your feet while every kick and punch is done for real. Works with all Playstation 2 games, but most suited for fighting games. - source: pesoftware.com

Energy Deluxe Dance Pad
The Energy Deluxe dance pad features super sensitive-no delay sensors. This pad offers a three in one multi-platform plug that allows interfacing with PS&PS2, Xbox, and PC/Mac via USB. From complete novices to experienced experts, you can now experience skill level that can match your abilities. - source: pesoftware.com

More information on using technology in physical education can be found at www.pesoftware.com.

MyPyramid Plan can help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you. For a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat, enter your age, sex, and activity level in the MyPyramid Plan box. For a detailed assessment of your food intake and physical activity level, click on MyPyramid Tracker.

Use the advice "Inside MyPyramid" to help you:

	Make smart choices from every food group.
	Find your balance between food and physical activity.
	Get the most nutrition out of your calories.

Also check out the games and resources. MyPyramid Blast Off, involves a rocket that needs fuel to blast off. The game reinforces the key concepts of MyPyramid for Kids by challenging students to select a healthy variety of foods and physical activities to fuel their rockets. The MyPyramid for Kids lesson plans provide nutrition and physical activity information.

Exercise Clothing Fabric

Reading the hang tag on a fitness garment can be like trying to make sense of quantum physics - Antron, Lycra, Spandex, cotton-polyester-spandex, Coolmax, Supplex. These are just some of the buzz words bodywear manufacturers are using to define and label the fabrics in their garments.

It's a challenge to figure out what you're actually buying - a leotard or a new industrial chemical mix. Yet these fabrics are the latest in breakthrough technology to make you feel comfortable while you're performing your workout. Read the rest.

A Clothing Renaissance

Time was when the standard cotton uniform got you through high-school calisthenics. Apparel makers are now using more technological materials, and more sophisticated manufacturing processes, to make outdoor wear more functional. Clothes are lighter, more comfortable, less smelly, and, in some cases, literally wired for sound. Find out more.

Technology transfer is the process of using technology, expertise, know-how or facilities for a purpose not originally intended by the developing organization. Technology transfer implies that a technology developed for one sector is then used in a totally different area. Find out more about this.

Medical space research has pioneered many methods and devices for monitoring and keeping astronauts healthy and strong in the weightless environment of space. Some of these technologies are already being used on Earth in medical health care, but there are plenty of other space technologies which are also finding uses in the fitness domain.

For instance, solutions based on space technologies for disabled people help them participate in sports at competitive levels as well as enjoy a better quality of life. An exercise machine for astronauts is being developed into a portable home fitness device and if your skis seem better then it is probably because of space technology.

The successful spin-offs described at Technology Transfer reveal how advanced European space technologies, tested by astronauts, are being incorporated into sports equipment and clothing and fitness regimes to ensure that we stay healthier for longer. Find out more about this through the success stories. - source: Technology Transfer