Wantirna College Newsletter

Physical Education and Health

The use of technology in Physical Education

As we continue to move into the 21st century, the use of technology in education is ever increasing.  As educators of Physical Education at Wantirna, we are continuing to look for new ways to engage students and improve student learning. We acknowledge that technology is an integral part of life and will become increasingly so in the future (Meldrum & Peters 2012). As physical educators, we need to think creatively, more deeply and broadly to help shape the future direction of this important school subject (Kirk, 2010).

 

Our aim is to develop a practical curriculum that is contemporary, relevant, challenging, enjoyable and allows children to be physically active. The implementation of a broad and balanced program is designed to develop students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to physical activity. Through the promotion of active lifelong learning in physical activity, participation and enhanced performance, students develop proficiency in the acquisition of movement skills, 21st century skills, as well as concepts and strategies to enable students to confidently, competently and creatively participate in a range of physical activities. 

 

Furthermore, we need to develop "appropriate ways to implement technology influenced lessons" (Journal of Physical Education and Dance, 2011) in a physical education setting that is in accordance with the curriculum and our teaching repertoire as educators. In addition, it is becoming increasingly more important for physical education teachers to know how computers and technological devices can contribute to; data collection, skill analysis and assessment of learning (Journal of Physical Education and Dance 2011).

  • Did you know that it is suggested that "the most pervasive change in sport over the past century, is the use of technology" - Journal of Teaching Pedagogy and Education (2013)
  • Did you know that from a research perspective, studies have shown that when teachers incorporate certain forms of ICT (wikis, webs, I-pads) into their health and physical education curriculum, there have been increases in student motivation and knowledge acquisition. (Journal of Teaching Pedagogy and Education 2013)
  • Did you know that studies have shown that when students are learning new skills, their execution of this skill was best improved through teacher feedback informed by students video performance.  (Journal of Teaching Pedagogy and Education, 2013).

 

A common question asked my many may be 'why do PE teachers need technology in the classroom?'.  Here are some of the ways the PE team at Wantirna are looking to utilise technology in the classroom:

  • Throughout the Physical Education program, PE staff at Wantirna will be using technology such as video recording / video analysis of performance, which is an important part of ICT use in PE. This allows for immediate feedback about student performance and allows us to gain a clear picture on how students have progressed / are progressing with their learning, so a more accurate assessment of student learning can be made. This feedback also gives children positive reinforcement as they are more engaged in the task and improves motivation. (Metzler 2011).
  • Through the use of video and other apps students can actively review their sporting performance to determine what elements of a technique need improving. This can then be coupled with a peer or teacher evaluation as a valuable assessment piece.
  • The use of ICT (video) will be used to model or demonstrate what we are teaching. Therefore, it acts as a valuable teaching tool for learning new skills and enabling students to reach the "mastery phase" of skill development.  (Meldrum, K., & Peters, J. 2012)
  • Technology will be used to gather, store and analyse information. Many Physical Education teachers are now using tablets, smart phones and laptops to enter assessments and store assessment data (Metzler 2011).
  • Students find watching their own performance fun and engaging and enjoy getting feedback on how to improve. This has led to improved student performance and motivation.

 

Thus, the Physical Education team have implemented a policy that outlines its use of technology in the classroom to ensure the school community is aware of how technology will be used across the PE program. Clear protocols for the use of ICT must be followed by all teachers. This includes:

 

  • The educational rationale on the use of digital devices, including the collection and storage of data will be discussed with students prior to applicable unit / lesson.
  • Students may use their own digital devices for education purposes only, with teacher permission.
  • Data and material collected through digital devices (photos and filming) will be deleted after each semester unless the student requests that this data to be kept for future learning purposes and / or data to be used to model future learning (with student's permission).
  • Teacher and/or college devices can be used, but all protocols above must be adhered to.
  • Parents/guardians have the choice to withhold or withdraw consent for their child to be photographed or filmed in class.
  • Teachers to obtain parents’/guardians’ permission before student photographs and /or film are published for purpose beyond the classroom.

    

If you have any questions regarding the use of technology in Physical Education, please don't hesitate to contact the college.

 

David Black

Leader of Physical Education and Health

Sport Uniform

Dear Wantirna parents and students,

 

Over the course of 2016 and 2017, feedback was sought from students across the college with regard to the current Physical Education shorts available to students. From the feedback received, we now offer a new design of the Physical Education shorts for girls from 2017. In consultation with students, we have redesigned the PE shorts for girls to improve both comfort, fit, and style.

 

These shorts are now available from the uniform shop at a cost of $28. The new PE shorts and/or the current unisex PE shorts must be worn as part of the College uniform policy. No other shorts will be accepted.

 

As is the expectation, all students undertaking a Physical Education class are required to be in full PE uniform. This includes white socks, Wantirna PE polo and Wantirna PE shorts (new or old style). If for some reason students cannot be in full PE uniform, a note from home explaining the circumstances is required for the student’s home group teacher and/or PE teacher.

 

If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the College.

 

Regards,

David Black

Leader of Physical Education and Health