While investigating tools that can be used to analyze statistics online I was intrigued by Statistics in Sports (http://community.amstat.org/sis/home). As I started to explore the site I noticed that it is a great resource to help become familiar with working with statistical evidence and trends in sports. This site directs the audience to professional journals and publications as well that further evaluates the research conducted. There is a large following of people who depend on statistical analysis in every facet of their team from on the field performance, to age and experience. There is a need to foster even more development of statistics and its application in sports. This website promotes statistical research and hopes to increase the availability of information concerning the science of statistics and their contribution to sports. Statistics in sports are extremely valuable for coaches when determining patterns for success. They also serve as verification for athletes to understand if they are performing at their desired levels. This analysis gives coaches and players a baseline on if the hard work they are putting in on a daily basis is paying off. It also helps with reinforcing essential fundamentals and player development programs. Obtaining factual data with percentages, graphs, charts, and trends can give coaches and players a much clearer picture of what needs to be worked on in practice. The possibilities are endless in regards to keeping track of stats in basketball and baseball, and the analysis is extremely beneficial to getting better individually and collectively during competition.
A quick survey for students to determine their interests in Physical Education...
I have found that creating a personal website as a part of my professional portfolio has been an extremely beneficial experience. Designing and generating material that reflects my career and passions has been personally rewarding in a sense that I am expanding upon my horizons. I have complete freedom to showcase who I am, what I believe in, my accomplishments, and my goals to my online audience. Potential employers, related professionals, peers, students, athletes, and the surrounding communities can now learn about me with the click of a button and at their convenience. Producing a personal website has also been imperative to my organization as a teacher and coach.
LinkedIn is another outstanding tool to utilize within my professional portfolio. This site is specifically intended for networking and professional opportunities. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with individuals in ways to find a job, or advance your career. It is an extension of a resume with a more meaningful style and creates additional opportunities for professional development. LinkedIn enables users to refine theirs interests so that they can connect and network with related professionals. I do not see any cons to utilizing and updating a personal website and a LinkedIn account on a regular occurrence. Building professional networks is about meeting new people and creating opportunities for myself. Whether online or in person, they are extremely valuable in regards to promoting my career, while staying connected with other professionals in my field. I believe that the most effective way to network is through face-to-face communication and word of mouth. This allows for a more personal interaction and better first impression. However, the relevance of technology-enhanced networking is increasing. People who utilize professional networks online are at an advantage to those who do not. My professional networks and PWP provide me with quality ways to promote and develop relationships more successfully. The use of these networks allows me to represent myself in a professional manner, share my ideas, and showcase my accomplishments and skills.
An important aspect of professional networking is connecting with the right people. I strive to connect, develop, and maintain relationships with prestigious people in the field of Physical Education and coaching. I hope to associate myself with people I can learn from and trust to help make me the best possible teacher and coach I can be. Building my network through my PWP, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Scoop.it, and my podcast will be essential to its development and significance. Increasing my connections within my various networks will help me expand upon my knowledge. This will also increase the likelihood that I am educated on best practices and innovative curriculum within my field. Professional networks are a vital component of supporting the Physical Education community, and ultimately encouraging my passion to achieve my goals and help my students prosper. Teachers have an abundance of resources for creating lesson plans and incorporating technology into their classrooms. One of the most innovative techniques is the use of mobile device apps for classroom management, learning, and organization. There are so many iPad apps for educators that it is difficult to process all of them. However, I believe it is important to become familiar with the most beneficial apps so I can be the best teacher possible. The Prezi presentation had extremely valuable and classic apps as well such as Google Drive, Evernote, and Microsoft Office. I am interested in Vernier Video Physics, which brings video analysis to any device. I would be able to record students in my PE classes and breakdown their movement and position frame by frame. I am also a big fan of the TEDTalks motivational speakers and I intend to show these videos to my students and players. All of these apps have tremendous potential and are becoming more and more relevant in education every day.
A great app for classroom management is Class Dojo. This app allows teachers to award both merits and demerits based on classroom conduct right from any device. Class Dojo helps teachers improve behavior in their classrooms by easily documenting behavior so that data can be shared with parents and administrators. I think it is great that students receive instant notifications about their behavior in class. Via Class Dojo, “Specific positive reinforcement helps students develop a sense of purpose in the classroom, enhancing intrinsic motivation over time. By giving students visibility and data on their own behavior, Class Dojo makes class less disruptive and creates a more positive learning environment” (TeachHUB, 2014). Another great app that currently I utilize for my sport teams is Remind 101. This app serves as an alternative to text messaging, and helps me communicate effectively with my players. I am able to send my players messages to remind them of practice and game times, and words of encouragement. I am contemplating using this app in my classes to remind my students of due dates and assessments. I also really enjoyed reading about the apps that facilitate group work between students. Apps such as Trello and Inspiration Maps help with project management and brainstorming ideas. A wiki is a server-based collaborative tool that allows any authorized user to edit web pages and create new ones using a web browser and a text entry form on a web page (Chawner & Lewis, 2006). A relatively new technology, wikis have become popular in which multiple authors can edit each other’s content on the Internet. The largest and most popular example, wikepedia.com is an “international web-based free content encyclopedia project.” Wikis, the Hawaiian word for “quick”, are becoming more relevant in higher education. They are changing the scope of education from instructor-centered to student-centered. Wikis make it possible for students to collaborate and communicate in an online environment by creating, organizing, and maintaining a web site. Successful wikis usually have a philosophy that establishes goals and provides guidelines for participants in the group. However, it is important to make sure that the information is credible. If that is the case, wikis are an appropriate choice in education because they provide easily updated web-based resources for students. As a result, students are able to contribute to learning by sharing their knowledge with each other in a supportive fashion. Wiki provides students with a cooperative workspace in which they can immediately and automatically display their documents and work through a “live edit” feature. This supports students’ development as lifelong learners in the use of technology, along with mastering online interaction as well as the curriculum (Bold, 2006).
A weblog is a personal diary maintained on the Internet. This post is a part of my blog for my PWP in regards to my professional life. This allows me to communicate with colleagues, students, and other professionals on a regular basis. I am also able to showcase my opinions on numerous topics, offer insight on current events in my profession, and discuss meaningful issues. Bold, M. (2006). Use of Wikis in Graduate Course Work. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 17(1), 5-14. Chawner, B., & Lewis, P. H. (2006). WikiWikiWebs: New Ways to Communicate in a Web Environment. Young Adult Library Services, 4(3), 33-43. LinkedIn and Facebook are popular social networking sites. They allow people to connect with other people online whom they know, or want to learn more about. The primary difference between the two is based on the intended use of each site. LinkedIn profiles are designed for professional networking purposes, and are more business-oriented. LinkedIn focuses on creating business relationships with colleagues, peers, and future employers. It allows you to build a professional brand for yourself, while showcasing your skills and development. Facebook profiles are created for the purpose of connecting with family and friends. Facebook is more appropriately suited for socializing and building friendships. It is more intended for personal use. As a result, typically Facebook is utilized by people of all ages, where LinkedIn users are generally an older audience.
Learning tools are any online software or service that can be used for personal and professional learning, for teaching or training, or for creating e-learning. After viewing the list of top 100 learning tools of 2014, I was pleased to discover that I utilize nine out of the top ten tools for learning on a regular basis. I was somewhat surprised to see Twitter as number one on the list, but it makes sense with its purpose as a personalized global connection. Twitter is extremely addicting and allows me to network while staying up to date on current events. Through this course I am beginning to use Twitter more in my career. Google Docs/Drive is another helpful tool used for collaboration on common content with other educators and coaches. Google and YouTube are two sites I visit frequently for personal and professional use as well. It’s nice to see Moodle make the list at number twelve, as I feel it holds a lot of value in educational settings. Two learning tools that I believe are up and coming in education are Schoology and Edmodo. They are both social platforms that help students create, manage, and share academic content in a safe environment. I take pride in knowing I utilize many of these learning tools in my personal and professional life, and I look forward to applying even more as I advance in my career.
The difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is founded on interaction. The web was initially known as Web 1.0. It was content based with information going from the provider to the consumer. Over time the web developed to Web 2.0, which focused on consumer contribution and involvement. This allowed for collaboration and engagement, which created the phenomenon of social media. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, and Instagram provided people with a network to participate in sharing information. People are able to stay in constant contact, give reviews on entertainment and food, evaluate merchandise, share thoughts and ideas, comment on information, and educate others through presentations. If used correctly, this creates an extremely powerful and valuable resource around the world.
Education is more accessible than ever before thanks to the Internet. According to the infographic How the Internet is Revolutionizing Education, there are currently over 3 million online-only students in the United States and over 25,000 online courses offered. Furthermore, higher learning institutions have online learning in their long-term plans. By 2019 it is estimated that “50% of all classes will be delivered online” (EdTechTimes, 2012). With these trends on the rise, the facts indicate how truly interactive Web 2.0 is, and how online learning has a bright future in educational settings. The possibilities are endless in regards to acquiring knowledge online. Individuals have the ability to choose how they want to learn and what they want to learn about. The online-learning revolution is taking place right before our eyes, and I am excited to be a part of it. |
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December 2014
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