For Lynn, it's natural to explore the use of a variety of tools, including technological ones, in teaching physical education. While she recognizes that the use of technology in P.E. has not really been a priority for most in the field, she believes that there are some valuable outcomes to be achieved with the help of these tools.
The use of such tools as heart rate monitors and pedometers, for example, helps kids to "see" their level of activity. This can help them learn more about their own physiology and help them achieve higher levels of fitness.
What's important about technological tools in P.E., according to Lynn, is that they enhance teaching without decreasing the activity level among students. They must, in fact, promote an increase in activity level by providing motivation and better understanding of the purpose of the physical activity. From the P.E. teacher's perspective, the tools must help to grow and adapt the curriculum, helping it become one that includes all students and that teaches important social skills and lessons about physiology.
Lynn has identified a couple of technological tools that meet these requirements:
Digital Video
Lynn remembers working with film loops when she was a student, and knew that there was something powerful about capturing physical movement in pictures. She's begun to work with digital video to illustrate the development of movement skills, and the technology has changed not only how students understand the concepts, but also how Lynn approaches the teaching and learning process.
Web Pages
Lynn's students have moved from bulletin boards to web sites in developing materials aimed at providing visibility and advocacy for school PE programs. She assigns students in her elementary and secondary physical education methods courses the task of creating a web page, to be included in a fictional school's site, about the P.E. program.
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