The strength podcast http://www.strengthcoachpodcast.com/index.php?post_id=399173,
Is a continuing podcast that discusses a number of topics dealing with strength training, nutrition, injury prevention and rehabilitation. The narrator outlines topics in a discussion with some of the premiere strength training coaches in the country. In the podcast I chose, Mike Boyle who is a nationally recognized strength and conditioning coach and has worked with numerous teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball discusses his thoughts on many strength training topics. Other Podcasts with other notable trainers are also available to increase ones knowledge base in the world of strength and conditioning.
The Podcast is broken up into various episodes that are titled to detail the topics of discussion as well as who is responding to the questions by the narrator. This is a great way for coaches like me to stay on the cutting edge of training and nutrition with the student athletes I work with. It is also a way I can inform and teach staff about some of the new 'ideas' that are on the horizon that can help improve student athlete performance. As a physical education teacher, I can find new ideas that I can research and teach to my classes. I am able to learn more about nutrition and injury rehabilitation and pass on these new thoughts to my classes.
The ability to review and search for specific topics dealing with strength and conditioning, nutrition, and injury prevention is important for coaches trying to find new ways to get better. Finding new ideas and ways to teach important skills to student athletes and students alike to get better performance from there training workouts will allow coaches to improve participation and performance in there specific sport.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
MOD 8 - Global Collaboration
Global cooperation has expanded the reach teachers have across the world allowing them a larger group of learner’s to inspire and teach. The internet has allowed us to develop collaborative efforts in the study of various subject providing new views from different areas of the world. I explored 2 sites KIDLINK and The Center for Innovation in Science and Engineering Education.
Kidlink is a collaborative effort to connect youth from around the planet to develop ways they can become more motivated. It is a non-commercial, user owned group that helps children understand their possibilities and develop goal setting and life skills. Kidlink also provides curriculum help to teachers in developing lesson plans that relate to local curriculum guidelines as well as the students personal interests and goals. Kidlink is used by students in 176 countries mostly by students between the ages of 10-15 years. The Kidlink Network is run by 500 volunteers in over 50 countries with a variety discussion boards that can be used for collaboration. Information on the site is available in over 30 languages. Kidlink provides a great way for kids to share ideas and thoughts on working through and succeeding in attaining their goals. Kidlink provides students an outlet to the world. They can communicate with children there own age and develop a greater understanding of the world we live through the sharing of goals and life skills.
The Center for Innovation in Science and Engineering Education was a great site to explore. CIESE received one of the first grants to explore internet use in 1993. The CIESE curriculum provides various projects using ‘real-time’ data from government and commercial databases. Many of the projects can be shared with anyone across the world with objectives and opinions shared with all participants. The concise instruction activities will create a better understanding of various science and mathematical topics. The sharing of opinions by the activity participants provides feedback and dialogue that will evolve and expand into new projects. Of the 6 projects I reviewed, I enjoyed the Water Usage project where data was collected about daily water usage. Data was collected from all parts of the world and compared with the average daily use of 1 American citizen. This type of objective will create great discussions with classes across the globe as well as find new ways to converse our water resources, and learn how much water people outside of the US use, and still survive.
I enjoyed my exploration into both sites and have become envious of the resources students have in there pursuits in education.
PART 2
When looking at CIESE and applying it to Voice Thread from the previous MOD (7), a teacher can create a great outlet to develop and construct an experiment using the ideas of any participant. VoiceThread allows for people to use audio, video, and interactive tools to provide feedback. I can take an Engineering Project where we studying the importance of angles in the construction of Bridges. The project can be posted and demonstrated with audio and video examples. Each student can ask questions, share thoughts with each the other. The ultimate goal is for each student to develop a plan to build a bridge that will be tested for its durability under stress using weights. Students can share construction ideas as a collaborative effort. They can also share construction flaws in why some bridges failed where others succeeded. As a whole collaborative group the teacher can build a bridge based upon the plans developed by each student. The plans can be placed on Voice Thread and changed by any of the students. Voice Thread will also save old plans to refer to if maybe a construction flaw was discovered. Once the plans are finalized the Bridge can be constructed and tested by each student. An great interactive teaching tool using ideas from across the planet and provides a great way to inspire and maintain interests of participants.
Kidlink is a collaborative effort to connect youth from around the planet to develop ways they can become more motivated. It is a non-commercial, user owned group that helps children understand their possibilities and develop goal setting and life skills. Kidlink also provides curriculum help to teachers in developing lesson plans that relate to local curriculum guidelines as well as the students personal interests and goals. Kidlink is used by students in 176 countries mostly by students between the ages of 10-15 years. The Kidlink Network is run by 500 volunteers in over 50 countries with a variety discussion boards that can be used for collaboration. Information on the site is available in over 30 languages. Kidlink provides a great way for kids to share ideas and thoughts on working through and succeeding in attaining their goals. Kidlink provides students an outlet to the world. They can communicate with children there own age and develop a greater understanding of the world we live through the sharing of goals and life skills.
The Center for Innovation in Science and Engineering Education was a great site to explore. CIESE received one of the first grants to explore internet use in 1993. The CIESE curriculum provides various projects using ‘real-time’ data from government and commercial databases. Many of the projects can be shared with anyone across the world with objectives and opinions shared with all participants. The concise instruction activities will create a better understanding of various science and mathematical topics. The sharing of opinions by the activity participants provides feedback and dialogue that will evolve and expand into new projects. Of the 6 projects I reviewed, I enjoyed the Water Usage project where data was collected about daily water usage. Data was collected from all parts of the world and compared with the average daily use of 1 American citizen. This type of objective will create great discussions with classes across the globe as well as find new ways to converse our water resources, and learn how much water people outside of the US use, and still survive.
I enjoyed my exploration into both sites and have become envious of the resources students have in there pursuits in education.
PART 2
When looking at CIESE and applying it to Voice Thread from the previous MOD (7), a teacher can create a great outlet to develop and construct an experiment using the ideas of any participant. VoiceThread allows for people to use audio, video, and interactive tools to provide feedback. I can take an Engineering Project where we studying the importance of angles in the construction of Bridges. The project can be posted and demonstrated with audio and video examples. Each student can ask questions, share thoughts with each the other. The ultimate goal is for each student to develop a plan to build a bridge that will be tested for its durability under stress using weights. Students can share construction ideas as a collaborative effort. They can also share construction flaws in why some bridges failed where others succeeded. As a whole collaborative group the teacher can build a bridge based upon the plans developed by each student. The plans can be placed on Voice Thread and changed by any of the students. Voice Thread will also save old plans to refer to if maybe a construction flaw was discovered. Once the plans are finalized the Bridge can be constructed and tested by each student. An great interactive teaching tool using ideas from across the planet and provides a great way to inspire and maintain interests of participants.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Twitter vs Plurk - Which is better? (MOD 6)
Well I recently have delved into the twitter and plurk microblogger cites and began to familiarize myself with the sites. Twitter is a microblogging tool that can be accessed via cell phone through text messaging. It allows for communication and microblogging on the go and can be extremely useful to continue class discussions outside the confines of the actual class room using cell phones as the method of communication. In out technological fast paced world, a student can continue class discussions while taking the bus from campus to campus or home. Twitters layout was basic, but its usefulness and effectiveness is in its use as a tool to contact and communicate via the cell phone.
Plurk was the fancy, sleek looking site with all sorts of features. The timeline and posting was presented horizontally. The site allowed for a variety or postings like articles and videos, but also allowed you to share thoughts, opinions, pictures and videos to others. A feature that did not seem available on twitter. Visually the site has its appeal.
I found Twitter to be more useful in a college setting. The ability to carry on disscussions outside the class, to remind students of appointments, and meetings was ease to do with Twitter. Plurk I found cubersome, I prefer simplicity. I high school class may prefer to use Plurk to develop time mangment skills, as well and to design a personal portal that is appealing to the user.
Plurk was the fancy, sleek looking site with all sorts of features. The timeline and posting was presented horizontally. The site allowed for a variety or postings like articles and videos, but also allowed you to share thoughts, opinions, pictures and videos to others. A feature that did not seem available on twitter. Visually the site has its appeal.
I found Twitter to be more useful in a college setting. The ability to carry on disscussions outside the class, to remind students of appointments, and meetings was ease to do with Twitter. Plurk I found cubersome, I prefer simplicity. I high school class may prefer to use Plurk to develop time mangment skills, as well and to design a personal portal that is appealing to the user.
Twitter comments (MOD 6)
Ron Jones discussed the uses of "Twitter" in a classroom setting. I am new to the universe of technologically integrated classes, but the uses for "Twitter" are just scratching the surface. In a day and age where cell phone use is almost as important as food and water, using this form of communication to a teacher's advantage makes a lot of sense. Kids can't say they did not know when a test was, or what assignment was due, or that they missed an appointment. Also using Twitter as a way to "engage" the class in discussions outside the classroom can be easily done. Such activities help in active learning and aide in retention and comprehension of information. I look forward to learning more about this tool.
Comments on Special Education article (MOD 5)
worked as a Special Needs Teacher for 3 years. I enjoyed my time and felt I understood that every student had the right to the best education possible. I worked with many teachers at the school that felt the same way. The post talked a lot about teachers that 'quit' their jobs, or are not supportive or understanding of the needs of children with learning disabilities. And yes there maybe a 'cultural mindset' to the way learning disabled students are regarded, and teachers need to be creative in incorporating there lessons. What the writer fails to recognize is the needs of the whole class. The needs of the class outweigh the needs of the few or the one. Does that mean we disregard learning disabled students? No. It means that at what cost do teachers focus their attention to bringing one student along versus the whole class. I dealt with a situation where the school district would provide her child with door to door bus service to a specialized school specific for her child’s needs. The parent wanted her child mainstreamed, and the only reason was ego. She wanted to feel her child was fine. Despite having a child that was significantly lower than the class, as well as a huge disruptive presence, it was more important her ego was settled than the educational needs of the child. Teachers have the unenviable task of being stuck in the middle of struggles like these, between district protocol and parental needs. As much as the post wants teachers to be more compassionate to the needs of learning disabled students, parents need to take into account that we are also responsible for more than just one child and if they want the best educational situation for there kids, they need to be patient that every that can be done will be done. Parents should take the brunt of the burden since at home they can help in the educational process, and in my experience, many parents of learning disabled students are far less patient. Responsibility begins and ends with the parents.
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