There are wide ranges of productivity tools that can be using in a number of different ways. After review the site lifedev I became more familiar to some tools and also introduced to new ones.

One tool that I was familiar with was Google. I knew Google was a search engine but had no idea of all its powerful tools. While in exploring Google and sharing tools I came across Google Doc/Drive. I originally thought this was an area to save documents and return for later use.  I had know idea with using Google Docs you were able to share documents with others and they could make changes or corrections at any point. I believe this would be a great tool for teachers to use in sharing ideas and exchanging lesson plans.

Another productivity tool I found that would be very useful was a program called my favorite run. This is a program that allows you to map out your running routes prior to your run and document distances as you run. I think this would be very beneficial as a physical education teacher and as a coach. I believe this would not only be a great tool for my own personal use but also for my students as well. This would allow students to show their running routes and record improvements in time and distance.

The last productivity tool I researched was a music listing application called Pandora. This is a free Internet radio that can be listened to from a personal computer or even a smart phone. Ok, I know what some of you’re thinking how is a radio application a productivity tool? For me when I am listing to music I can get some much more done. It allows me to say focused and complete the task at hand. Also this would allow for me to provided free music to my students during activities. This might seem like a distractions but I found having music during cretin activities creates positive environment in the gym.

Productivity tools can come in a number of different forms. These are just a few that I researched that I thought would be not only beneficial to myself but also my students. I am looking forwarding to experimenting with these productivity tools and to explore more in the future. 

Technology is being used more and more in the classroom and even in the physical education setting. A new type of technology I was introduced to after reading these articles was something called podcasts. According to Cebeci and Mehmet Tekdal (2006) podcasting is an audio content delivery approach based on Web syndication protocols such as RSS and/or Atom. To me this was a little confusing and I wasn’t sure how I could relate this to my lessons. After reading these articles I had a better understanding of what podcasts were and was very enthused about how I can use them in my own lessons. 

I believe using iPods and podcast can have great benefits. When using podcasts I believe it would benefit the auditory learners. I believe IT allows you to present information in a way the students would be interested in rather than a traditional lecture. I think it's great how students can record their own responds and upload it to the podcast server. This would provide the class the ability to hear other student’s perspective and reflect more on their own work. I think another benefit would be its accessibility and mobility. I believe the biggest benefit would be tapping to the information by the new age student. Students today are raised in a society where technology is above all their normal.  As educators we can tap into this for the purpose of teaching and the possibilities are endless.

There were a few issues I though might limit the effectiveness of using podcast and iPods in educations. One issue I found with using podcast in physical education was most of my teaching involves me to explain and demonstrating. This accommodates both auditory and visual learners. Using iPods would take away from providing visual aids. The biggest disadvantage I found is the cost of iPods. In this article students were given iPods to complete their work. With the cuts in education I think it would be challenging to provide all students with and iPod. I also think even thought a majority of people have iPods there are a few that can’t afford them and I believe this would be a major limitation in using it as a learning device.

Overall, I though the articles were very interesting and made me think of new ways I could incorporate technology in my own classes. When I first read the assignment it was just another thing to do on my to do list, now I’m excited to learn more about podcasts and use them in my own classes. 

In today’s world there is technology everywhere you look. As new advances develop we adapt to them and are trained how to use the new technology. For some of us this adaptation is relatively easy, but for some in can seem overwhelming.

After reading this article it got me thinking about the new generations that are born into this new technology. If this generation is born into it what adapting will they have and how will their learning differ.

Being a first year teacher I was unsure what to expect when it came to what technology I would use in my lesson. This is the first year our school has a one to one program. What this means is for every student there is an apple device IPod, Ipad, or laptop. I was shocked when I found this out about the school and also a little nervous about how this would affect my teaching.

In the article it compares the difference in teaching with and without technology. After teaching a few lessons with and without technology I was shocked to see the difference. In the classes that had the technology they were quick to respond, engaged, and even the students that didn’t like PE were participating. In the class that technology was not used students seem to get bored and lose interest in the lesson. I was shocked, it was like night and day. When the article talks about students losing interest in traditional lessons I agree a hundred percent.

Technology is changing everyday and so is student’s ability to learn. I believe this is an outstanding thing. This allows us as teachers to engage students in ways we never have imagined. This new technology will help us stay current and grow in our own development. Most of all I believe this new technology will give educators the resources to ensure that all children have the opportunity to succeed to their fullest potential and that’s what really matter.

Today social media can be found almost anywhere you look. Social medias can be used to stay connected with friends, following groups, posting pictures, and even education. In the article it discusses how social medias can and is being used in education.

I believe social medias are great tools. My personal favorite social media is Facebook. I typically use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family but it wasn't until recently I started exploring more of its possibilities in education. I recently graduated college where Facebook was on the forefront. In my last semester of student teaching our class had a group set up for all the participants. At first I was a little skeptical using social media for educational personal, but after some time I found it very helpful. In the group students would post assignments that were due and ideas they had for teaching. After we graduated I did not think I would use this group any more but I was completely wrong. To this day we still post information that is very helpful such as job openings, lesson plans, and educational videos.

After reading this article it gave me a new perspective of social medias in education. I thought this article was very interesting and provided a new look on education. Social media in education can be great for communicating, sharing ideas, problem solving, and staying connected.  I do believe social medias should not be the center focus of education but I do believe it can be outstanding in assisting the learning process. I also believe social media when used in education should be limited to the higher education system. Overall, I believe if social media is used appropriately teachers will be able to connect with students like never before.  

I found this assignment to be pretty cool. It allowed me to experiment with some photo cropping sites and just have some fun. I decided to use photo fun box which allowed me to upload a picture of myself and crop it in funny backgrounds. I think this is a fun site and I look forward to sharing it with my students. 

In today’s world the internet is a very powerful tool. You can use the internet in ways never to be used before. The internet can be used to Christmas shopping, pay bills, manage a company, and even peruse an education.

Until college I haven’t had much of a background with computers. I knew how to turn it on and a few basic skills, but this was all about to change. In school I was surprised how much I was able to learn just by going on the internet. When it came time to graduate I couldn't much I learned using internet and technology. After graduation it became even more powerful then I have ever imagined. I began searching for jobs on the internet and one day I received an email about a job I applied for. Next thing I knew I was having an interview over the internet and received my first job. 
All of this was due to the powerful tool of the internet. 

Today I used the internet on a regular basis learning new things each day. One site I visit the most is pecentral.com. This site allows physical education teachers to search and share ideas. I found this to be very beneficial to be able to communicate and receive feedback from other professionals in my field. Although I am currently not following any authors I do follow trends on micro blogging sites. This allows be to receive news as it is posted.

The internet can sometime be viewed as garbage and not reliable. To some extent this may be true but I would have to argue its also a wonderful learning tool. I seem to lean from the internet the most when reading blogs. I know most people don’t thing blogs are reliable but when I read blogs it allows me to see other peoples experiences. This allows me learn from others and a try new things. On the opposite side, one area where I feel the internet distances me is not being able to communicate face to face. I believe I have lost some social skills deal with people in person. The reason for this is rather then going and talking to the person face to face I am able to do it through the internet. 

Being a teacher and dealing with children all day I realize that we are in a different time. Today students are much more geared around learning with technology than ever before. I think the way technology is evolving and how students are learning technology is one of the most powerful learning tool out there. 

There are a number of different types of careers in today’s world. When choosing a career it can be scary and even mind-boggling.  I was always told the three most stressful things in life are moving, having kids, and changing careers. As far as stressful events in my life I was about to do two of the three.

This is my first year starting a new career and there were a number of questions running through my head. I kept asking myself what am I doing? Is this right fit for me? This went on for sometime until one day it hit me, I am right where I need to be.

 I knew this because when I wake up in the mornings I don’t dread the day. I noticed during the day I never look at the clock and count the hours until quieting time. I realized when I talk to others about my profession I never once referred to it as work. What really made be realize I’m in the right career is when a student came up to me and said this was the most fun she had ever had in PE class.

I believe this success is related to my sweets spots or strengths. Some of these strengths are explain and demonstrating fun activities to be engaged in. I believe I do a great job for checking for understanding to ensure for a successful lesson. When a class is over I do a great job of getting feedback and seeing what went well and what we need to work on for the next class. This made be realize I have a number of strengths and when I am using them throughout the day not only are the children having fun, but I’m having fun as well.

I might not ever dread going to school but I do have my up and down days. At times everything seems like its going right and at times things seem out of control. One area where I feel I am lacking strength is communicating to parents. I can teach the best lesson and have the students be engaged, but when it comes to communicating with parents I seem to be lost for words. This is one area I would like to improve on.

Every career has its ups and downs. Some people stay with the same career their whole life, some will switch numerous times. This is my first career as a physical education teaching and loving every minute of it. I have my sweet spots and areas where I need improvement. When it’s all said and done I know I’m having a positive influence on my students lives and that’s the most rewarding career I could ever ask for.  

When I heard the word microblogging I was a little confused at first. I heard the word before but was unsure what it meant. After doing some research I got a better understanding of what microblogging is. Twitter is a form of microblogging that allows you to follow people, sport teams, and trend. You often hear negative remarks about twitter but the truth is it can be very useful. As educators we can use twitter in a number of ways. We can use it to communicate with other educators, we can use it to follow trend to stay current, and we can follow professional associations.

I am relatively new to the twitter world and at first I was a little hesitant. After some research and some experimenting I found Twitter to be user friendly. I believe using twitter will provide me with the opportunity to connect with others in this program. I am very excited to learn more about Twitter and other forms of microblogging. 

I believe a PWP is a great tool for educators to provide an understanding of who they are. Having a PWP is a great way to present your teaching physiology and express your beliefs.  This can give viewers background knowledge and a better understanding of who you are.

Looking at the two examples it gave me an understanding of who these people are and what their beliefs were. Both examples of the PWP were very impressive. The only thing I would suggest is to have more color and more images. If they were able to do this I believe it would be more of an eye catcher and peek the interest of the viewers. I thought both PWP were very professional. One feature I really liked and would use is the survey potation.  I feel this is a great way to get the option of what others think about.  One feature I would change is the question section. The only reason I would eliminate this feature is because it seemed a little repetitive to the contact feature.  Over all I thought both of these PWP examples were very impressive. 

I believe having a PWP is a very professional way to present yourself. I’m looking forward to learning more about PWP and creating my own.