Eric Tunney's Concept Mapping

Assignment Title: Eric Tunney's Concept Mapping

Uses in the Classroom: Concept maps have a place in every classroom, every subject.  Regardless of what is being taught, a good teacher can utilize a concept map to show connections or relationships between ideas.  One unit I teach where I've never actually used a concept map, but can see the benefits is by teaching Volleyball after I have taught Tennis.  Certainly these two sports are significantly different in certain areas, however they do have some close similarities to how we play in class.  It would be very easy to show the similarities and differences in a concept map.  Students could then easily connect that in both sports, if the ball lands on the line it is considered in bounds and that the server should state the score prior to serving; while at the same time showing understanding that scoring the two are completely different and that different skills are used in each sport.

Issues to Consider:  Depending on the amount of flare and depth of the concept map there could be very few issues when creating one.  Even a map made with only paper and a pen can be effective although certainly there are more creative avenues out there.  As one gets more in depth, figuring out the software and getting ideas on to "canvas" could be an issue.  Getting students to understand the relationships and connections would also be a hurdle to overcome.  Presenting the information effectively so students can create their own maps would be necessary, otherwise their maps may not make much sense.

Copyright:  

McCarthy, J. (2014, July 23). 3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners: What Teachers Do. Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-ways-to-plan-john-mccarthy

Using Technology to Support Diverse Learners. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://opi.mt.gov/pub/CSPD/WestEdTechTips.pdf

Managing a Culturally Diverse Classroom, Teaching Tips of the Week, Teaching Today, Glencoe Online. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/weeklytips.phtml/230

Eric Tunney's Photo Editing wk 6

Assignment Title: Eric Tunney's Photoshop and GIF creation

Uses in the Classroom: Editing photos and creating GIF images can be a useful tool even in PE & Health.  While there may not be a plethora of opportunities for students to use these tools in this subject area there are many uses for teachers to use them.  I plan on using Photoshop to give a more detailed perspective on the sports we cover in regards to court markings and field locations.  It would be very easy to highlight, shade, enhance, desaturate, etc areas of the fields and courts to show students boundaries and/or different zones.  Teaching student's about the "3 second rule" in Basketball could easily be done by shading the lane area and typing text about the rule in the picture.  Taking a picture of a softball diamond and shading the area that each player is most likely responsible for incase of a flyball could easily be done and understood by students.  Animated GIF's would be create for an assignment we currently do on paper and powerpoint called the "You Book".  Basically student's compile images that describe themselves and make a presentation of this.  Using the folder of images and Photoshop, students could create this animated GIF that would scroll through the images while they narrate them.  There are no buttons to click or hardware other than a projector, computer, and internet.  On Bloom's taxonomy  students would be using Analysis for organizing their ideas and the Synthesis for creating, composing, and designing their You Book's.

Issues to Consider: The most glaring issue to consider would be the cost of Photoshop.  Certainly using the 30 day trial is tremendous but will run out and you would be forced to purchase the full version.  While it is easily argued that the cost is minimal compared to all the features and benefits of Photoshop it still may be difficult to come up with the money to purchase the full version.  If students were using Photoshop this would also be a concern as I have students multiple times so they couldn't just use the 30 day trial.  The other issue would be ease of use and also having the proper computer to use such a powerful program.  I have a MacBook Pro which typically handles all programs easily and rarely gets "bogged down".  I found Photoshop to significantly slow down the speed and it seemed to be overpowering my Mac.  I know our PC's in our labs would be greatly effected by this program and may not even be usable. 

Copyright: All original photos were taken by the author of this blog.  All edits and changes were done so through the use of Adobe Photoshop.

Photo Editing

Eric Tunney's Infographic

Assignment Title: Eric Tunney's Infographic Assignment

Uses in the Classroom: This Infographic would be used in my Strength & Conditioning class.  Far too often kids get complacent and start "going through the motions".  This can include anything from negativity, being lazy, losing the vision, accepting mediocrity, physically weak, mentally weak, etc.  This graphic would be used in a lesson discussing how students can excel in their athletics and achieve greatness.  This would be something to give out and explain the relationships between their qualities and how they are all intertwined and how they can all work together.  This certainly wouldn't be a fix all solution and wouldn't do much good if only visited one time or presented in a non-effective manner.  This could also be posted in areas such as the locker rooms, gym, and weight room.

Issues to Consider:  Perhaps the biggest issue with using this and most Infographics is presenting it in the proper, effective manner.  Anyone can create a great Infographic but if it is not presented in an enticing way it will most likely be deemed unsuccessful.  If students are to gain something from this, they need to know exactly what each part is all about.  "Positive Attitude" may mean something completely different to each student so it is up to the presenter to paint a clear image of what a positive attitude is and what qualities one should have.  Likewise, the overlapped sections will need to be explained perhaps even more than the singular areas.  A neat and organized Infographic combined with an effective presentation, can make for a great learning opportunity.

Copyright: This Infographic was created by the author of this blog.  All photos are originals from the author as well.  The Infographic was created using the website Easelly http://www.easel.ly

Eric Tunney's Digital Video Assignment

Assignment Title: Eric Tunney's Digital Video Assignment

Uses in the Classroom: Using a digital video in the classroom gives teachers another format to reach students.  Students do not all learn the same way and giving them a visual, demonstration, or interactive tour (among others) can only help.  In some cases, a video may be the only way to truly capture the essence of the lesson.  In this example, I explain and demonstrate the hamstring curl exercise.  While I can very easily demonstrate this in class, this video would be made available online for students to use when needed.  Not only would this be useful throughout the trimester but as exams approach this week, these videos would be an extremely beneficial tool for many students as they could access them and review their muscles, uses, and exercises.

Issues to Consider:  Depending on how many and how often videos are used, storage of these videos may be an issue.  An external hard drive may be needed for the teacher to store the videos or they could use an online service such as google drive or dropbox.  Sharing the videos shouldn't necessarily be a problem assuming students have a device and internet access however giving students those videos could open the door for students to get creative with cheating.  Students could store these videos and access them during quizzes and tests.  However, this is and should be easily eliminated as teachers should create questions where simple rote memorization cannot answer them but rather use questions with critical thinking and unique answers.

Copyright: This video was created by the author of this blog Eric Tunney

Hamstring Curls

Eric Tunney Digital Storytelling

Assignment Title: Eric Tunney's Digital Storytelling Assignment

Uses in the Classroom: Digital Storytelling is a great way for students and teachers to create a personal storyline using images they have created or found.  In our Health classes, students create what we call a "You Book" where they find images in magazines or personal photographs and cut them out to create a paper book about them.  They then present this book to the class.  By using digital storytelling they could accomplish the same task but have more fun and make it more interactive.  They can add a sound track or videos which can add a more personal touch.  

Issues to Consider: One of the largest obstacles to overcome would be teaching students how to use the software.  I only used iMovie and with some trial and error and tutorials I was able to figure out the basic tasks, however this may be difficult for certain students.  Perhaps other software is more user friendly for students.  Obviously having enough computers and the software would be a necessity as well. 

Copyright:
The following photos are originals taken from the author Eric Tunney:
Basketball, Gym 1, Gym 2, Backboard,  Weight room 1, Weights 1, Weights 2, Gym 3

The following photos are all taken from the website Flickr and are all usable.  
Kids playing basketball (Shane Pope), Blue & White teams playing (Christian H.), hospital room (David Fulmer),  knee icing (Incase), Muscles (Hammerin Man), Black & Yellow Team 1 (USAG Vicenza), Black & Yellow Team 2 (USAG Vicenza)

All sound effects were generated by the software iMovie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvv1rpPh9AM

Eric Tunney Screencast

Assignment Title: Eric Tunney's Screencast

Uses in the Classroom: (Google Forms)- This is an easy, quick way for students to gather a plethora of information in a short amount of time for conducting basic research.  In my PE classes, we may create a Form to email out to teachers, family, & friends asking what types and how frequently they exercise.  This data could be compiled and used to formulate assumptions and conclusions on how people are exercising.  (Snag it) This is an easy way to capture whatever is displayed on your screen and to add a voiceover.  In my PE classes, I could use this tool to demonstrate how students can pull up their "Lose it" app and document all of the foods and drinks they consume as well as add all the exercising they do.  This is an effective way for them to track their caloric intake and calories burned.

Issues to Consider: Technology availability is a potential issue.  Students would need to have access to computers, iPads, or other devices where videos can be accessed.  Students would probably need some instruction on downloading, installing, as well as using Snagit.  There are several tutorials available if they look hard enough, which could help significantly with all of these.

Copyright: Created by the author Eric Tunney

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NXqcRgnj-g&feature=youtu.be

Eric Tunney's Fotobabble

Assignment Title: Eric Tunney's Talking Image
Uses in the Classroom: Having students create a "Fotobabble" or something similar would be a great way for kids to introduce themselves into a new class (much like we have done in past online grad classes).  This could be a less stressful way for at-risk kids, freshman entering a high school, students with poor social skills, etc. to introduce themselves as well as for everyone to learn about one another.  Most students are fascinated with technology and themselves and this assignment combines the two!  
Issues to Consider: Technology availability would be one thing to consider.  If a school has iPads, chrome books, or computer labs with microphones and cameras then there are little issues to overcome.  However, without this availability it may be difficult to get 30+ kids in a class to figure it out without all looking at the same screen at the same time.  Then again, most kids have a cell phone in their pocket which in most cases has the same capability.
Copyright:  Original image from the author Eric Tunney.