Ozga's Blog

I cannot believe how fast the eight weeks have flown by! I went into this course with a lot of anxiety because I didn't know how juggling my home, work and graduate school would go. I have to say that the amount of work in this class, is exactly what I remembered from when I went to get my masters in Educational Leadership. Technology has always been something that got my interest when it pertains to integrating it in Physical Education. Through this course I am finding that some of the discussions have been difficult. The reason I have had a hard time relating with other members of the cohort is because my class is very unique compared to a general education teacher. One of my main goals as a physical educator is to get students moving. Technology can be a motivator for kids to help get them to move, but it can also make them sedentary. I like using heart rate monitors as a way for kids to use technology and help them create goals for movement in PE. I have also noticed how techno...

How could you use Google Keep in Physical Education...first I would use it as as a dad. With balancing life between kids, work, family, and graduate class, using Google Keep would be an easy way to organize reminders of what is due or when things are. Google Keep is also very eco friendly because we could use less paper sticky notes by using Keep. Now...how could I use this with students. I like the idea of having students brainstorm ideas by using Keep. It can be a community brainstorm that is broadcast over our projector in the gym. By doing this students are able to see each others responses which then allows for meaningful class conversations. It is also another way to survey students to see what they feel about certain games, skills, and concepts. I would easily use this as an exit question to gage how students feel about lessons and concepts taught.

Student personal portfolios are important in PE because they are a way to showcase what is going on in PE. Believe it or not, PE is not the first thing students talk about at the dinner table. So with the use of portfolios being sent home monthly with psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domain work in them students can start having more conversations with parents about what is happening in the gym. More importantly when districts are looking to cut programs PE will have established itself around the community and support from parents will be much better. Portfolios are also a way to show parents what personal fitness levels look like. They will be able to compare their scores with state/national averages which can also benefit students.

I am Dan Ozga and teach Physical Education in District 181. I teach at The Lane School which has been awarded the blue ribbon award twice for PE programs from the Illinois Association of Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance (IAHPERD). I have three children at home with two boys and a girl. They keep me busy playing sports and changing diapers! In my spare time I enjoy travelling, playing sports, and cooking. My wife and I travel to tropical and snowy places and there we hike and relax. I am very active with Illinois State University.  I am currently participating on their advisory committee for physical education teachers, and will have a student teacher from their this fall as well. Currently using technology in PE is a newer concept but I feel like I have gotten good at it through trial and error. It is hard to manage to teach new technology in PE because our class only meets 25 minutes a day. Some of the ways we have integrated tech in PE are: iPad apps, jumbo sc...