Technology in the physical education classroom

It appears the use of technology in physical education is more popular than first thought. The more I have researched the idea of using a Nintendo Wii in physical education lessons the more I see that schools all over the world have already adopted the idea.

A school in Singapore uses the Wii as a way to overcome the problem of oppressive heat in the region. Outdoor lessons were previously limited to early mornings to avoid the heat, now PE classes can be scheduled with impunity throughout the day. In New York State it is the cold winters that prevent Physical Education lessons from being outside. With limited space for indoor activities teachers are put under a lot of pressure to provide a suitable program.

The Wii can provide a course that embraces technology as the mode in which to learn about movement and ones physical capabilities. Additionally the Wii Fit provided a teaching tool that a single instructor would never be able to reproduce with consistent and repeatable demonstration of exercises and movements. The scoring used by each game was a useful measure of success or improvement that was tracked and maintained by the console and easily accessible to each student. Students will became capable of reproducing the movements necessary for successful completion of a fitness program as well as knowledge of the muscles trained for each exercise and how to recognize incorrect movement patterns in others. In small groups, students can control the pace or selection of the learning modules which best suited their learning styles. This feature of the course allowed for a highly adaptable learning environment tailored to each student within the constraints of the small groups.
A rich learning environment is created for the student’s through the use of Digital classroom instruction, instructor reinforcement, in-class and out of class assignments, and online resources. These are all a mixture of technology-based and traditional tools of instruction.

Many games have become popular within the course including Wii Fit, Wii sports and Deca Sports. Looking closer at Deca sports http://www.decasports.com/ how many people can say they had the opportunity to learn the skills of snowboarding during a physical education lesson? It might not be the real thing but it can be a very good alternative.