Education and technology go hand-in-hand.

Withnearly 100% of public schools and colleges having access to the internet, many classes incorporate digital technology on a regular basis. Gym classes are no exception.

It’s a big departure from traditional education in Japan. Which is why we must consider every aspect of implementation—not only the effect on students, but also the impact on teachers, lesson plans, resources and technology. Learn more about IBM solutions transforming Education. AI technology helps teachers thrive in a new kind of classroom.

Digital Resources for Students with Autism. The digital age brings good news for teachers and parents dealing with students with autism. Today, there are more technologies than ever before to help students with speech, interaction, participation, and communication, making for more integrated classrooms and innovative therapies that help these students learn. Despite increasingly widespread adoption of technologies in virtually every aspect of K-12 education, significant challenges are preventing widespread effective implementation. According to researchers, though some of those challenges are systemic and some related to the technologies themselves, teachers and education leaders share in the blame as well.

Recognizing the need for physical activity and considering their profession something more than just a free play time, gym teachers are applying innovative technologies to the development of their discipline in different directions.

After theNew York Times reported on research tying the direct relationship between students’ physical condition and their ability to learn, physical education shifted gears. Taking into consideration Millennials’ global interest in technologies, the best way to grab their attention is with digital tools.

Surveys have shown the positive impact technology has on the learning process. A survey of more than 2,600 U.S. college studentsconcluded that applying technology to education helps them reduce stress (45%), improve confidence (46%) and efficiency (57%), while also helping students to better prepare for class (67%).

Integrating digital devices, school administration software, and applications into the classroom serve to improve learning and boost good study habits.

Whiteboards, podcasts, and games are not all but just a few effective ways of how technology provides better organization of knowledge, helping educators engage students and motivate them.

When it comes to introducing technology into physical education, the benefits extend beyond education. There’s a positive impact on students’ health as well.

Looking to learn how to integrate tech into physical education? There are many options, including:

Gaming systems

Appealing to the love of video games, teachers can spark student interest in physical education.

Dance Dance Revolution,Xbox Kinect, and the Nintendo Wii demand physical activity and make students more active, social, and competitive. Engaging, they speak the language of Millennials, transforming their attitude toward exercise and, therefore, improving cardiovascular system and strength.

Applying gaming systems to their gym classes, educators also help tobeat childhood obesity, which has beencalled “one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century.”VideosVideo sharing websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, or Vine can turn anyone into an amateur filmmaker. These websites and applications have opened up a world where lessons and demonstrations are available at the click of a mouse.

There are plenty of benefits to schools using these resources in all areas of education, including physical education:

• Students creating and watching best practice/technique videos for physical training or sports
• Reviewing sports mechanics videos from professional athletes or online trainers
• Create health video projects demonstrating the proper diet and lifestyle of a fit young adult

These projects and viewing sessions allow students to familiarize themselves with new ways to stay healthy in school and at home.

Applications

There is no limit to the list ofapplications available on smartphones and tablets, especially regarding health, fitness, and diets. These applications are perfect for tracking the performance of phys ed students and applying their development towards future lesson plans.

Here are a few you can choose from:

• Coach’s Eye – an app that records and provides feedback on sports performances. It helps students improve their skills, as they can watch a video of themselves and see what they did wrong.
• Camtasia – an app for teachers to record lessons, explaining the rules of sports games or right ways of doing physical exercises. Students can watch these lessons at home and practice in class afterward.
• Coach Note– an app for both educators and students to create and share sports and tactics, translating them into real-life plays.
• SprintTimer – a timer and photo finish to use during gym classes. Good for both short and long races.
• Team Shake – an application for teachers to decide on teams in classes, developing team spirit and promoting friendly relations among all classmates.
• SworkIt – an app to create video routines, setting the time beforehand. Based on schedules, a digital trainer helps to organize workouts.
• Balance It – an application aimed at providing visual prompts to develop student gymnastic skills.

Virtual classes

The learning process is a two-way street. As the teacher relays information to the student, the student ought to have the right to challenge ideas and engage in discussion with the teacher in order to reach a deeper understanding.

Giving students the opportunity to express their views through a classroom blog is a route that has been taken by some K-12 classrooms and universities. These are valuable resources for discussion as well as developing student writing skills.

Edublogs andKidblog are great platforms to host a classroom blog. Some benefits boasted by these blogs include:

• better collaboration
• blending into media
• better communication skills
• better learning
• creative thinking
• increased exposure

Virtual classes, hosted on video chat programs such asSkype or Oovoo, make lessons more purposeful and integrative as well as provide a resource for

wireless technologies (specifically wristbands). Online learning can work for physical education, too. Students track their activity and combine that with online courses about fitness principles, exercising, and nutrition.

Monitors and trackers

Speaking about technology in physical education, we can’t ignore all types of pedometers and trackers which help measure all of this physical activity.

Measuring steps, calories, and time spent active allows schools to customize student goals to their specific needs, making students feel involved and empowered in their physical education. This technology also allows creating long-term plans for advancing health as well as developing feedback for students in order to adjust their goals accordingly.

Conclusion

Physical education plays an integral role in developing healthy habits later in life. Technology reshapes the gym class model, turning the education experience from a sedentary lifestyle into a deeply involved physical experience.

Which of these technologies have you implemented for physical education in your school? Let us know in the comments below!

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How does technology impact student learning? Some postsecondary educators view technology as a distraction in the classroom. Even if they don’t ban the use of mobile phones or social media during class, they may begrudgingly view technology as a little more than a necessary evil.

But rather than simply ‘tolerate’ it, instructors can harness the power of digital devices, apps and tools to increase engagement, encourage collaboration, spark innovation and enhance student learning.

In and of itself, educational technology doesn’t result in effective teaching and learning. It still requires a guide (the educator) and a purpose (related to the curriculum). And it does require some effort and strategies to integrate it effectively into your course material. But, if used with intention, technology can be transformed from a distraction to an effective teaching tool.

Here are a few answers to the question of how technology impacts student learning, and reasons why educators should make the most of technology inside—and outside—the classroom.

Technology affords better access to resources

With an Internet connection, we have access to information at our fingertips 24 hours a day. We can find almost anything online, in its most up-to-date version. For students, this means access to everything from research materials and educational apps to interactive edutainment and open resources from prestigious universities around the world. They may, however, need instruction on how to find credible resources and direction on providing proper attribution when they use them.

Students can also supplement their learning by connecting with online groups and virtual communities in real time, or by collaborating on group projects with tools such as wikis and cloud-based apps. And instructors can provide access to course material (and additional resources) by setting up portals through learning management systems or providing access to course-specific software for each learner. Blended learning — a mixture of classroom technology and face-to-face learning—is a popular way of organizing this.

Technology can improve student engagement

Education technology can make learning more interactive and collaborative—and this can help students better engage with course material. Rather than memorizing facts, they learn by doing. This could be as simple as taking an interactive quiz in class or participating in tech-enabled group discussions or as involved as playing educational games, practicing science experiments in a virtual lab or taking a virtual field trip.

But to make it truly engaging, it must be truly interactive. Doing math on a computer isn’t any different than doing math with a pencil and pad of paper. But using augmented reality to animate math challenges is a whole different ballgame. For some students, interactivity provides a better learning experience.

For teachers, the possibilities are endless: from using simulation tools to demonstrate how a hurricane develops, to using virtual reality to practice medical procedures. “As a growing number of medical schools bring virtual reality into the classroom, students are finding it an effective way to learn complex subject matter, such as anatomy, that’s often easier to understand with hands-on practice,” writes¹ Chris Hayhurst for EdTech Magazine.

Technology can expand classroom boundaries

Thanks to technology, the classroom no longer has walls. The learning environment no longer has boundaries. And instruction can be provided by any number of subject matter experts—in addition to the person teaching the course.

“Students in a classroom in the rural U.S., for example, can learn about the Arctic by following the expedition of a team of scientists in the region, read scientists’ blog posting, view photos, e-mail questions to the scientists, and even talk live with the scientists via a videoconference. Students can share what they are learning with students in other classrooms in other states who are tracking the same expedition,” according to an article² on technology in education by Purdue University.

Technology can encourage self-paced learning

In a traditional classroom, students who were struggling to learn new concepts would quickly fall behind their peers. With online assignments, however, students can advance at their own pace. Those who need more time or extra help can practice outside of class with guided exercises or additional coursework. So, too, can learners who want more of a challenge.

Thanks to the always-on nature of technology, students can access resources online whenever they need to, and instructors can see which students might need extra help. The exercise of self-paced learning also helps students learn digital literacy and 21st century skills, which will be useful when they enter the workforce.

Technology can promote innovative teaching techniques

Technology changes the way we access information, but also how we’re taught that information. The instructor becomes less of a ‘sage on stage’ and more of a ‘guide on the side.’ From accessing course materials online to watching video-recorded lectures, technology opens up the possibility for teaching innovation: from collaborative group work to flipped and hybrid classrooms. Instructors can also use classroom response systems to assess students’ understanding of course material and adjust the pace or content as needed in real time.

How does technology impact student learning? A summary

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While technology is sometimes seen as a threat—and it does have its limits—integrating it into your teaching practice offers a new way for students to interact and engage with course material. Thanks to technology, education is no longer confined to the walls of your classroom. YouTube videos and social media don’t have to be a distraction; they can be part of your course material. The math is easy: it adds up to better learning outcomes.

References

1. Hayhurst, C. (2017, February 15). Medical Students Practice Critical Skills on Digital Cadavers. Retrieved from https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2017/02/medical-students-practice-critical-skills-digital-cadavers
2. How Has Technology Changed Education? (2017, April 25). Retrieved from https://online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-technology/resources/how-has-technology-changed-education

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