Hi Bob,

I like your idea of the Wii stations in class. How many Wii systems do you use and during the rotation are the students playing the same game or are they playing different games at each station?

James, I too have used the WII stations in class. I like implementing this into my classes, however I fine I quickly run out of space for students because we only have one WII. The other issue is sometimes I feel like it takes so long for my students to set up games/ activities. Any advice on this?

I have used quite a bit of video in my teaching, especially over the last several years. This year for our archery unit I set up a video lane with my IPad mini video camera recording students shooting on time lapse. Students would shoot an arrow, watch a delayed video of themselves shooting, looking for technique flaws, then continue shooting. I have also used my Iphone for filming students skills and reviewing them with that student. For instance, after telling students repeatedly that they are high sticking in floor hockey, I film them and show them how high their stick is. It works very well as a form of feedback - video never lies! I have also had success using GoPro videos during our gym activities. Our school has a facebook account and posting these videos on our facebook page is a wonderful way to promote what we are doing in class! Besides monetary limitations (which grants are readily available in our district), there have not been a whole lot that we have bumped into that has prevented us from using technology. New this year we are allowing "technology zones" throughout our school for students to use their smartphones. We have not run into any problems with this new policy.

I have used video in my classroom by having students follow a DVD exercise video. For the most part the biggest obstacle is trying to get all of the students to participate in the lesson. Some students just refuse to follow along. The only thing that I believe will help me overcome this obstacle is by giving the students two different videos to follow during class. This will give the students a chance to pick the video that they are most interested in to follow during the class.

James,
I have tried this as well. I have set up s4 separate stations so the students get to pick the workout for the day. This seemed to help. The students picked the workout, so there was less complaining and more participation.
Dominic

Audio and video are used frequently in my lessons, particularly audio. Music is a staple in my gym. We have a JVC Kaboom Box for daily use in PE. It’s a wonderful motivator, and I allow students to bring in their own song choices on CD’s they create (barring any bad language). It can act as behavior management, too. If students make inappropriate choices, I take away their music, or allow no music at all. Music is also a great way to stop and start activities, which works better than blowing a whistle.

As for video, our gym is equipped with a large screen, projector and sound system, which I can use to teach aerobics or dance. I connect my laptop to play commercial DVD’s or Youtube videos. I can also post video clips on my website so students can practice at home. Student success rates are higher using video as opposed to teacher/student-led instruction. I plan to include sports skills and weight training video clips to my repertoire to help teach proper form.

While happy with the resources already available to me regarding video and audio in my PE classes, one resource that I need for my vocal health is a wireless microphone with a sound system. Over the years I have damaged my vocal cords from yelling in loud gyms and outdoors. This is a common problem for educators, especially PE teachers and coaches. When I see presenters use wireless mics clipped to their shirts, I think, “That’s what I need!” There are some great systems on the market and I plan to apply for a grant to cover the cost of this equipment.

I have used audio and video in many ways...typically the audio is motivating to my students however due to networking errors and limitations it's still an ongoing project. One example is I play music for my students while participating in circuits/ station workouts. As for video I've used this along with audio with a traveling projection system that we can "loan out" at school. I've used this for a fitness circuit app such as Sworkit. The kids love it...and more importantly they also learn about skills and apps they can take with them that are free to use for a lifetime.

I used a P90X video in my class a few years back. I began with it on a 36 in TV. The class size made it difficult for everyone to have a great view of the video and the sound was not the best. I spoke with our tech director at my school and we set up a projector that hooked up to the dvd player. The dvd was projected onto a giant screen on the wall. Everyone now had a clear view to the video. To solve the volume issue, we connected the dvd player to speakers. Everyone was able to see and hear the video and enjoy the workout. The entire setup only took a few minutes.

Recently, our district was a recipient of the PEP Grant. As a result of this we are required to collect and analyze student data pertaining to the Fitness Gram Assessments. Students in our program took part in five separate assessments; Pacer test, Shoulder Stretch, Trunk Lift, Push-Ups, and Curl-Ups. For this testing, students are required to listen to audio to perform each task with the correct form. They are directed by this audio when their next movement is expected and continue until they can no longer perform properly. Due to the audio recording of the different tasks, each student had the same instruction and we were able to evaluate at a baseline that was equal to each individual student.

I have used audio and video in my physical education classes. For me personally I have videotaped and recorded my voice during some of my lessons. The video helps me see if my students are on task, if I am moving around the gym well enough to work with every student, and to see if I am creating a safe and inviting learning environment. I listen to see if my instructions are clear, if I am giving enough feedback to the students, and if I give enough encouragement to my students. For my students in physical education I play music for all the classes during their warm-up. The music works great for a stop and go signal for games too. Also, the music helps motivate students when participating in particular units like fitness. Lastly, I use music during my dance units for the 3rd and 4th grades. In terms of videos I use YouTube and other websites with my students to show new games, skills, or drills we are going to try. Also, my students have videoed each other on iPads so they can see themselves perform a particular skill. After watching the video they can see what aspects of the skill they need to work on or improve.

If there were no obstacles preventing me I would like to use more audio and video in my physical education classes. It would be nice for times when I do station work. Ideally each station would have a video and audio clip so students could listen and watch what they were supposed to do at each station. It would save time in the beginning of class because I wouldn’t have to demonstrate every station activity. Also, when there are a lot of stations for me to explain some students forget what to do at particular stations and this would help eliminate that problem. Having the audio and video clips at each station would help my students work more independently. I would like to use iPads more to break down students’ skills and movement, which I mentioned I have done in the past.

The two biggest obstacles are time and availability of technology. I only see the students in grades K-5 once a week for 40 minutes. Students in 6th and 7th grade I get to see 3-4 days a week for one quarter. It takes time to educate students about technology and with limited time it makes it difficult to incorporate it into every lesson. In regards to availability of technology we have minimal technology resources and all the teachers share the resources. Our school budget is lacking and even when I am able to have technology in the gym there aren’t enough resources for every child in the class so students end up sharing for example iPads.

A creative way to overcome the time obstacle is to promote my physical education program and show how important it really is. If I show that I have a quality program then I could possibly have the students for a longer period or see the students more frequently throughout a week. I could discuss the schedule with my principal. To overcome the availability of technology I could look into writing grants for technology or go to my “Parent Teacher Group” to see if I could get some money to purchase technology to be used in my classes. Also, I could have my own fundraiser for P.E.

I have used audio in my classes. In the weight room we have a Cd player boombox, we use to help motivate students to work out. I also use the sound system in the gym to play music or the Pacer test. For video use we do have a TV that we can use but we have issues with the dvd or vcr not working occasionally. We were given a projector and laptop to use for attendance but we have used it a few times during class. My school is slowly getting newer technology to use in our classes.

The only video I have used is a DVD to utilize P90x and insanity workout to provide students with different options on getting fit. I have had a co-worker use video to help in grading students skills and presentations. She had to gain permission from every parent/guardian in order to do it.

I think that getting permission from every parent may be difficult but not so hard that you couldn't do it. I would just need to see and understand the benefits of videoing and would like to see an effective lesson plan.

Hi Karen,

What grades do you use P90X and insanity with? I'm always looking for fitness videos for my students to try, but it's challenging to find videos that elementary age students can do with success.

I wonder why your co-worker had to get a permission slip to record the students. I can understand if your co-worker was broadcasting the videos on social media, but if they were keeping the videos within the class I'm not sure why the permission slip was needed. At my school they send home a media permission slip, which allows us to post pictures, videos,etc. online. All of our parents signed the permission slip allowing their children's picture to be posted online, but I'm always weary of posting pictures and videos of my students online.

Have you ever used audio and/or video in your teaching or work? How did you use it? If there were no obstacles preventing you, how might you use audio and/or video? What obstacles would have to be overcome to enable you to do so? What creative ways might you employ to overcome or go around the obstacles?



I use audio and video almost every day in my teaching.
Students and I create playlists for running and workouts that we use daily in the weight room, gyms and ouside. We have sound systems and speakers available for all teaching spaces.
This is a great way for students to earn extra credit for missed classes too.
I use video recording for teacher, peer and self-assessment. This is such a great learning tool. We also use DVDs and Apps for certain workouts, yoga, meditation, pilates, abs, circuit training and more.
The only obstacles I have are problems with wifi at times and finding a reliable set of speakers for outdoor use.
I would love to know what other teachers use for sound outside.

We use some form of audio of video almost every day in our classes and coaching. As stated in DQ1 we use videos as an extension for individual lessons, we use audio enhancements every day when teaching to make sure that our students can hear us especially our hearing impaired. There are definitely times when things don't work and when that happens we basically scrap our lesson for the day until we can get it to work. However we were showing a video in class and for some reason the DVD player went out but everything else still worked, I was able to live stream the movie from Netflix and Amazon in order to show the movie that day. Most of the time there is a way to fix the problem for the day but if not our students are really used to dealing with things as this happens all around the school because we are an older establishment.

Ron,

I think that is great you use audio and video in almost every class for teaching. As I am developing my curriculum as a new teacher in my building one goal I am working on is using more video to show my students. I find they learn the best visually and especially in physical education. That is awesome you were able to stream videos through Netflix and Amazon. How did you end up doing that? That is very creative and thinking on the spot if equipment fails or is not accessible/available. We are getting a Smart TV in our fitness center and I hope to show more videos for my fitness units. It is also good the students are accepting of the obstacles, many times they like to help and will creative with you too.

Thanks for your ideas.

-Jess

I have used audio and video in my teaching during my fitness classes for tenth graders. The ten grade students have state required fitness testing and for teaching proper technique and improving pre-test scores for the curl-up and push-up assessment, the audio and video use is a major contribution to the successful post-test scores. At the beginning of the unit, I like to show a video of the break down of skill cues needed to perform a proper push-up and curl-up. The audio used in class is a recording of the cadence and count of the number of push-ups and curl-ups. Students practice using the audio during class to prepare them for the post-test at the end of the course.

There have not been any obstacles present with using this audio and video technology. I would like to create a powerpoint presentation, adding more information to give to the students. I can display this on the new "smart TV" put in my school's fitness center. Showing this to students in class is simple and for the most part there are no obstacles. If there are technological difficulties, the use of google classroom or even email is helpful for the students to access the audio and video information at home on their own. This is a creative way to overcome any obstacles that may happen in class or if technology to display the audio and video is not available or accessible.

I use music everyday when my lasses are inside. The students know that when the music is playing they are to engage in activity and when the music stops to cease activity. I initially had all my music run through an ipod connected to the room's speaker system. The only drawback was that I was tied to a location in the gym to start and stop the music. Now, I use Spotify. Spotify is open on a computer and on my phone. I am able to start and stop the music from wherever in the gym and not be tied to a location to start/stop. I would like to purchase a powerful bluetooth speaker to be able to bring music outside.

I have also used an app on my ipone called Seconds. It is an interval timer that works with Apple Music. I can set periods of activity/rest/rounds. I use this in class for stations and for Field Day. There is a pro version that is well worth the couple of dollars.

I have not used too much video in class. However, I have made PowerPoint presentations that models fitness activities for students and have found games on Twitter/YouTube that has a visual demonstration. I have also incorporated Dance Dance Revolution, a video game, into the curriculum. Currently, I am experimenting with a slow-motion camera that can be used to analyze form for various movements. I would like to purchase an Xbox One and use the Kinect.

The only obstacle I have found is funding for video equipment. I am trying to use existing resources in the school, i.e. ipads and student phones, to implement the slow-motion camera.

I have not heard of Seconds before but it sounds like a great app. We have IPAD minis at school so I am going to see if the app will work with them. Also if yo have IPADs, I'm not sure if it will work with your Iphone, the app Hudl Technique allows students to film themselves and replay it in regular or slow motion. You might want to check it out.

I have used both audio and video in class. We have a portable sound system that has a microphone jack on it. I have used it for directions doing step aerobics and with a projector for doing a variety of exercise videos. I also have used a projector in the classroom to show videos for introduction of activities: rules, introduction to skills, advanced skills, or new activity highlights. In the gym I have used the projector and sound system with either my computer or an IPAD to show exercise videos that the class can follow either as a big group or smaller groups that are working on individual exercise plans.
If I could
As with anything money is always an issue to obtaining equipment. If money was no object it would be nice to have a projector, sound system, and computer mounted/stored in the each teaching space versus moving things on a cart. Also a really nice camera/program to analyze skills and movement accessible immediately on a big screen. In our district most items are purchased through our budget process. But other ways to obtain items is applying for grants or possibly through local companies.

Wanda, I think its great that you use audio and video in your classes. If money wasn't an issue (as you mentioned and as we are to dream) you want a better way to use the audio and visual systems for wherever you are, right? Me too! As Jason mentioned in his post he uses Spotify which I also have done and in the right setting is nice to have. I'm thinking of combining your ideas and wishing for a versatile indoor/outdoor speaker/projector that can provide music for activity, videos on the school walls, both in the gyms and on the building outside, to aide the students in instructional activity and post Heart Rates among other data. Maybe even a spot on the back of our baseball dugouts that can provide another teaching area. Without getting ahead of myself, how about Youtube style access to holograms and sound? We just might get there sooner than you think. Good Luck with your teaching?

George

Yes, I have used the basics from when I began teaching with a television/VCR combo or the projector screen to assist my lessons. Now I have a smartboard that I can control with my tablet. How far we have come in 15 years.
If I need to show a "movie" to the class, I can actually chop up the important info and have the students all see it on their devices in the classroom or if they are at home sick or need extra time at home a link is provided to allow the learning to continue even when I am unavailable to the students. I can record my lessons as a presentation and students or parents can go back and see exactly what we talked about in class that day.
With a grant (thank goodness no more bake sales, cookie drives, walk-a-thons to raise money)that our district received I am able to use most of what is available out there to assist my teaching. Smartboards in the room and all students 1:1 with an iPad make so much possible. Previously, as much as 2 years ago, I would say that do to limited resources we were teaching pen and paper style only. Money was the huge break through and then we all received the training we needed, so our limitations are really individualized by our motivation to use what is open for us.

I use videos quite a bit in my teaching. I have used videos to illustrate skills, such as a jump shot in basketball. I recently showed a video on volleyball to show my students how to move on the court. At the end of the school year, I started to show videos my students made to their peers. For example, I showed 2nd graders a video of 4th graders playing a new game to help them understand the rules and game procedures. The obstacles I had to overcome was request a cart with a LCD projector, and speaker. I housed the cart in my office. I had to allow other teachers borrow my cart at different times throughout the school year which made planning challenging. I came up with a schedule for teachers to fill out to help coordinate when I had the cart and when I didn't.