Webliography and References

1.  Zhao, Yong.; Pugh, Kevin.; Sheldon, Stephen. “Conditions for classroom technology innovations.” Teachers College Record, v. 104 issue 3, 2002, p. 482-515.

2.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-wii-tennis

This video demonstrates and explains how to play Wii Tennis.  This resource is important because if a student is struggling with a stroke, then can look back at this video to see someone else doing the motion.

3.

http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Wii_Sports/Tennis

This webpage gives detailed intructions about the game.  It does not have video but it is very thorough with the instructions.

4.

http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/players/#

This webpage breaks down video of professional tennis players executing various shots.  You can actually slow down the video shot by shot and see how their body is positioned. 

5.

http://www.usta.com/

This website offers a wealth of information about the game of tennis.  There are tips for improving your game, finding a court, or rules of the game. 

6. http://wiisports.nintendo.com/games_section/ 
This website is the actual Nintendo website for Wii Tennis.  They offer video of the game and a brief description of the serve, forehand, and backhand. 

How to play Wii Tennis

The following are the digital resources I would use to teach the unit/lesson.  I would also encourage the students to explore these on their own, outside of class for reference. 

http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Wii_Sports/Tennis

http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/players/#

http://www.usta.com/

http://wiisports.nintendo.com/games_section/

Organization of the Lesson

If you were to be an observer in my classroom for the Wii Tennis lesson here is a description of what you would observe.  The students would walk in to the gym and sit silently on their squad for attendance.  At one end of the gym a projector and the Wii would be set up on a cart with the controllers on the middle shelf of the cart.  There are also two smaller televisions at the other end of the gym so two more games can be played.  After attendance each student will begin the warm up activity.  The students will run or job around the gym for 3 minutes.  After the 3 minutes, the students will do a dynamic warm up which includes lunges, grapevine, side lunges, high knees, butt kicks, and toe touches.  After the warm up the students will each grab a controller and disperse to their designated station.  We have started the tournament and the doubles teams are playing.  We get right into play and consult the brackets; I have a schedule of who is playing first and on which “court”.  As the games begin I walk around the gym watching each game and making sure everything is running smoothly.  The students who are not playing must be at one of the three games observing and cheering on their classmates.  As soon as a game is done, the team that won marks their score on the bracket poster and the next game begins.  The students will reset the game on the Wii console and make sure everyone is ready to play.  As the transitions are happening I am making sure the scores are being reported accurately and also that the transition to the next game is happening quickly.  While playing doubles it is important to communicate with your partner, so you will also hear a lot of conversations during the games.  The observer will see a lot of movement during the class period.  The observer will also hear conversations between the players and between the teacher and the students.  I hope the observer will feel astonishment that the students can be physically active with technology. 

            The lesson will be taught over the course of two weeks.  The first week will focus on familiarizing the students with the Wii and the details of the controller and the game of Wii tennis.  The second week will focus on the tournament and playing matches.  Each class period will start off the same but depending on the class the speed of the lesson can be adjusted.  If one class is ready for the tournament after day 3, then we will start the tournament early.     

            There will be no help needed for the technology because the Wii is fairly easy to work with.  If a problem does occur, the Wii website is very informative and is very helpful at operational issues.  Students with special needs can be involved with little to no modifications made.  As I mentioned before, students with limited physical abilities can participate fully and be very successful.  There will be no special help required for this lesson but I would welcome anyone who wanted to help.     

Conditions for Classroom Technolgoy Innovation

After reading the article “Conditions for classroom technology innovations” I had a better understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses regarding technology in the classroom.  As of right now, I do not have much experience using technology to teach a lesson in physical education.  I do have experience with technology in my personal life.  I use a computer for my school work and emails.  I also am familiar with the Nintendo Wii and other gaming systems.  Studying figure 1 in the article that maps out the innovator, the innovation, and the context I concentrated on the innovator circle and thought about my own abilities and experiences.  Within my lesson I do have a great knowledge of “the technology and its enabling conditions.”  I am familiar with the Wii gaming system and with the game, Wii Sports.  I also have an understanding of the controllers and what each button does.  The relationship between the pedagogy and technology is also very strong.  I understand that exergaming is not a replacement for the actual game of tennis; this is why I have used it as a lesson in a bigger unit plan.  Exergaming gives those students whose physical abilities are limited to experience a sport or skill they may not have exposure to in the traditional physical education class.  The last aspect of knowing the organizational and social culture of the school is a weakness for me.  As of right now I am not teaching in a school, so I am going to use the schools I did my pre-student teaching in as a reference.  At Horace Mann Elementary I think the school would be very open to using technology in the physical education classes.  At Fairview Park High School, I think the same is true.  Both schools seem to very open to using technology to enhance the learning experience for the students.  This aspect of the innovator would be the most difficult to gauge.  If you are a new teacher in a new building it might take a year or two to understand the inner workings of the building and the school system.  In the article it mentioned one of they keys to success is a supportive environment among teachers.  I think this would be crucial and in order to foster this environment I think it is also important to think of other content areas.  For example, how can the Wii foster a technologically enhanced learning environment for social studies or chemistry?  I think the more of your colleagues you can get on board with developing a TELE, the more support you are going to have.    

TPACK-Design Project

The technologies in my TELE fit the content selected because the Wii has a specific game called Wii Sports.  Included in the Wii Sports are tennis, golf, bowling, boxing, and baseball.  There is potential to expand the lesson into the other sports and expose the students to other lifelong sports.  The technologies fit the instructional strategies for this lesson because the Wii is very user friendly.  As I mentioned before, I would assume most of the students have had experience with the Wii and are familiar with the controllers and how the system works.  If a student is not familiar with the Wii, it is very easy to learn and very easy to control.  Also, this technology is versatile and students with wide ranging physical abilities will be able to effectively use it.  The content, instructional strategies and technologies are come together in the lesson because without one the other could not exist.  Without the tennis game, the Wii and the controllers would just be a piece of unused technology.  If the technology is not working, the lesson can not be taught using the instructional strategies that I have designed.  Each element is dependent on the other and together they can create a fantastic learning experience.        

My thoughts on Education, Technology, and Literacy

Before this class I never really thought about the role technology plays in education.  I was aware that technology is present in today's schools but within my content area of physical education, I have not had much experience with technology.  I am now more aware of the role technology plays in education and I am more appreciative of technology.  I think technology can enhance the educational experience for the student and the teacher, if used properly.  People like to vilify technology and only focus on the negative effects in may have but I do think it has positive applications.  Technology can make learning more interactive and can promote literacy.  The example I gave in my Digital Story was the student in a physical education class wearing a heart rate monitor during the class and being able to understand what the numbers mean.  There is no point in wearing the heart rate monitor if you do not understand what the numbers mean.  This form of literacy is important because it promotes a healthy lifestyle. 

Introduction to the Design Project

            The lesson I will be introducing to the students is titled Wii Sports- Tennis.  This lesson will be a part of a tennis unit and will incorporate technology into the physical education curriculum.  The lesson will introduce basic tennis skills including, but not limited to, serving, volley, lob, and backhand.  The students will also gain basic knowledge of the game of tennis; they will gain important vocabulary related to the game, and will understand the equipment needed for the game.  The students will also learn how to work with others and how to communicate effectively.  Another important skill they will be learning is sportsmanship.  They will learn how to win and lose with dignity and grace.  The broad domain of knowledge for this lesson is physical education.  The learning experience for this lesson will take place in a gymnasium, plenty of space will be essential for safety reasons.  Other materials needed for this lesson include a television, Nintendo Wii, projector, and Wii controllers.  Students must familiarize themselves with the technology in order to use it appropriately.  I understand that most students will have experience with the Wii, but the class will learn and review all skills that are essential.    

Through this unit students will be learning a lifelong sport.  Tennis is a very popular sport played by millions in the United States.  This specific unit will highlight the game of tennis is a different way through technology.  Tennis is a great way to stay physically active and can improve your cardiovascular health and overall body strength.  The sport is also a great way to be involved with the community and maintain a social interaction with others.

A unique aspect of this lesson would be at the end a tennis tournament.  I would structure the tournament like a USTA professional tournament.  The tournament would be single elimination and there would be singles and doubles.  If a student or a team is eliminated they would still have the opportunity to play, just not in the tournament.  Each class would have their own brackets and match ups will be based on random pairings.  Individual students and teams would not be ranked. 

In this unit and lesson the big or essential question is will this activity become a lifelong sport for this student?  My ultimate goal for this unit is to introduce a lifelong activity that this student could potentially be playing and enjoying when they are 50 years old.  I understand not everyone will play and love tennis, but I want to introduce as many lifelong sports as I can so each student will have choices when it comes to being physically active throughout their life.