If you’ve followed this blog for any period of time you’ll know that I enjoy purchasing new devices & exploring the role they can play in my PE classroom. I also speak with thousands of PE Teachers yearly who share the gadgets they simply couldn’t be without.
So with this in mind I wanted to share my Top 5 Tech Gadgets from 2017 that are perfect for your PE classroom.
- UE Boom Wireless Bluetooth SpeakerI often get asked for portable and wireless music solutions for the iPad that can fill a room with rich sound. This used to be a difficult question to answer, however, after hearing about the UE Boom, It became an immediate purchase.
2) Apple Watch
Apple Watch Series 2 is the ultimate sports watch that measures your workouts with detailed, customisable metrics. It also includes an advanced activity tracker that shows you how often you move, exercise and stand, and lets you share your progress. However one of the my favourite aspects ha been the integration of an all-day assistant that provides me with instant access to the people, apps and information I need in that context.
Apple Watch in PhysED
- With music playing a massive role in PE classrooms around the globe the Apple Watch brings in mobile control features that let you easily play/pause/stop music to your connected devices while on the go in your classroom.
- I’ve also used the apple watch as a presentation remote during keynotes and presentations
- The huge variety of Fitness Apps with Apple Watch integration is staggering & a huge opportunity for PE Teachers to track their own health & wellbeing in the pursuit of being better role models.
3. GoPro Hero 5
HERO5 is the most powerful and easy-to-use GoPro ever, thanks to its 4K video, voice control, one-button simplicity, touch display and waterproof design. This opens up the door for PE teachers to use them in a variety of contexts;
- Reflection – In the following episode of The PE Geek Podcast, Ben Landers shares how he has been able to leverage his GoPro to capture in lesson footage. This has been instrumental in enabling him to catalogue how lessons were setup for repeat sessions in the future, whilst also enabling him to pick up on the hidden nuisances in his teaching.
- Tactics & Strategies – I’ve seen a number of teachers around the globe incorporate students wearing GoPro devices into the teaching of game strategies and tactics. Essentially students wear the devices while participating in game play capturing the in game perspective. This recording can then be used to identify decision making post activity or in real time with the accompanied GoPro app.
4) Drones
Easily one of the most disruptive emerging technologies we’re likely to see in the coming years. Drones have been exploding recently with their use becoming possible in industries and situations we could of only dreamt about in the past. This includes the PE classroom with innovative teachers and coaches using them capture amazing game play footage and more.
I’ve also seen a collection of PE Teachers utilising drones to capture advocacy footage of their sports days to help create & share moments to the wider school community.
Resources for worth exploring include;
It’s still very early days, but quite a few exciting opportunities already exist for those involved in teaching practical & theoretical physical education & health concepts.
It’s really quite easy to get started with Virtual Reality experiences, all you need is headset and mobile device. Headsets to range in quality and price, but you can get going for less than $20 with Google Cardboard. As you might notice, Google Cardboard is exactly that, Cardboard enabling you to quickly insert your mobile device running a virtual reality experience into the insert. You can then place the headset on and start experiencing the power of VR.
It’s still very early days, however we’re truly starting to see some major opportunities come to light in the VR world. The crazy thing is that these will all pale in insignificance over the coming years as we approach a situation where our simulated VR experiences will be indistinguishable from reality for our eyes. My advice to you is to pay attention, this is not a gimmick and it will impact your world & education in ever increasing ways in the years to come. It’s truly exciting.
What gadgets are you using in your PE Programs?
