Matt V's ED TEC 700 blog

Evaluation

• How will you know if this site is helping your users reach the objectives you’ve defined for them?

The food diary assignment is about:

1. Students becoming more aware of eating habits.
2. Understanding what makes a balanced diet.
3. Recognizing appropriate serving size.
4. How to make healthy choices.

This assignment is also about change.  Students are required to complete 2 separate 7 day food diaries.  The “pre” will allow students to recognize their eating habits (before we learn the nutrition basics) and the “post” will focus on how their eating habits have changed.  The “post” food diary has more of a reflection-based theme and will require parent/guardian feedback.  Students will be able to compare the two food diaries and draw conclusions of their choices.  This assignment is one that I do each year and results are usually powerful.  I always look forward to seeing/hearing how the eating habits of students and their families have changed.

I am hoping that these learning outcomes can be even more relevant with the use of the class wiki.  I think using the wiki will increase student motivation and accountability due to its’ collaborative nature and knowing that  their effort will be seen by their peers.  I also predict positive parent feedback which can also impact student enthusiasm for good nutrition.

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Implementation

• How will you introduce this to the class? Prior to introducing the class wiki, we will discuss the learning objectives and expectations for the 7 day food diary assignment (see analysis post).  Once the food diary worksheet has been completed,  I will then introduce the class wiki by:

1. Defining it’s purpose and objectives (What is a wiki?  Why are we using it for this assignment?  Why is it relevant?)
2. Watch the “What is a wiki?” video.
3. I will navigate the class wiki using projector and lap top.
4. Using lap top cart, students pair up to complete a wiki scavenger hunt that will increase their familiarity with the site.
5. Student volunteers will be guided to demonstrate how to sign up for a Wikispaces account, join the class wiki, navigate the pages, visit links, and edit the Student Page by adding their name to the list.
6. Collect student and/or parent email addresses so that I can send out invitations to join the class wiki.
7. Students will have one week to accept the invitation and join the class wiki.

Once the students have completed the food diary worksheet and joined the class wiki, they can begin to enter their food diary data to their personal page.  This activity will be done in class so that I can supervise and offer feedback as needed.  Students will have one week to review the food diaries of three classmates and respond to the prompts.

• What do you have to do to get permission from the powers-that-be at your school? Each year in my district, both parents and students sign a  student consent and waiver for Internet use indicating their agreement to abide by the district’s acceptable use policy.  Other than informing my principal of my intentions for the class wiki, I do not predict to face any barriers to using it with my students.  Other teachers have used this type of collaboration tool so the administration is comfortable with it’s use.  

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Development

• What tools (or combination of tools) will you use to support the site? I decided to use wikispaces as the platform for developing my class wiki.  I chose this platform for it’s simplicity and because I have had previous experience using it in other ED TEC classes.  I have added a common craft video that students can access to clarify how a wiki works.  For the first assignment (7 day food diary), I have added a handful of related links that will provide students with resources to help them complete the assignment.  For future projects (health or PE related), I will be able to add skill-based video, game/activity rules, and appropriate web resources.  I would also like to create  “forum” page that will be used by students and I to help clarify any misunderstandings of the assignments and/or the wiki.

• What customizations will you need to do to your site? Wikispaces is a pretty straightforward platform.  For this first attempt at using a wiki with my students, I wanted simplicity.  As there will be a learning curve for both the students and myself, I am not looking to make this too complicated.  I have added a few pages that detail the wiki’s purpose and explain the 7 day food diary assignment.  I also like that I can “lock” pages to eliminate the chance of vandalism.

• Are you happy with how well it turned out? At this point in the development, I am happy with the results.  I have focused on simplicity and usability and feel that most student will not have a problem interacting with this wiki.   I look forward to introducing the class wiki and am excited to see the student response.  When I have used technology in my class, my students are more focused and genuinely interested in the topic.  I hope that this wiki will be no different.
• Progress so far can be found by viewing my HPWB wiki.

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Design

• What do you want users to be able to do when they visit this site? Initially, I want to introduce students to wiki technology and for them to get familiar with the wiki interface.  When using this class wiki, students will be required to contribute in many ways.  They will eventually be tasked to complete individual and group assignments, review for tests, share their opinions on health and PE related topics, and collaborate with classmates and teacher.  The first challenge I plan to give my students is to complete a food diary that documents all meals, snacks, and beverages they consume over a seven day period.  Students will complete the food diary worksheet (with teacher and parental guidance) and enter this data to the class wiki.  This experience will give students an opportunity to gain a better understanding of their eating habits.  They will then be required to apply their knowledge of basic nutrition concepts (characteristics of a balanced diet, My Pyramid, five food groups, and serving size) when analyzing the food diaries of three classmates.  To complete the assignment, they will respond to several prompts that will summarize their analysis.

• Is it a recurring effort, or a one-time project? The food diary assignment will be completed once at the beginning of the nutrition unit (first assignment prior to learning about the basic nutrition concepts) and again at the end of the semester.  Other types of collaborative learning opportunities will come as I gain experience creating pages and managing the wiki.

• Assessment for the 7 day food diary:  Students will be required to document all meals, snacks, and beverages consumed for a seven day period.   The following are questions/prompts that students will reflect upon as they are reviewing the food diaries of three classmates.

1. Has this student completed his/her food diary for seven days?
2. Did they include all of the required information (food/beverage description and serving size)?
3. How does this diet meet the requirements of “My Pyramid”?
4. In your opinion, has this student considered appropriate serving size?
5. What recommendations can you offer to help your classmate eat a more balanced diet?

Rubric

Excellent (4 points): Student documents all food/beverage consumed for the full seven days and accurately describes the serving size of this food/beverage.   Student responds to the five questions/prompts when reflecting on the food diaries of three classmates.  Reflection responses are appropriate and insightful.

Good (3 points): Student documents all food/beverage consumed for six (or fewer) of the required seven days and briefly describes the serving size of this food/beverage.   Student responds to the five questions/prompts when reflecting on the food diaries of three classmates.  Reflection responses are good.

Average (2 points): Student documents some of the food/beverage consumed for five (or fewer) of the required seven days.  Serving size is vague and inaccurate.   Student does not respond to all five questions/prompts and does not complete all three peer reviews.  Reflection responses are simplistic.

Below Average (1 point): Student documents some of the food/beverage consumed for three (or fewer) of the required seven days.  No serving size information is included.  Student does not respond to all five questions/prompts and does not complete all three peer reviews.  Reflection responses are poor.

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Analysis

• Who are your users? 7th grade Human Performance and Well-Being students (HPWB = health & PE combination).  I am planning to introduce this wiki to one of my six classes.  Each of my classes have 40-43 students who are a very diverse group of learners (GATE, ELL, mainstreamed).

• What do you want them to be able to do as a result of using your web site? Using the HPWB class wiki, students will have the opportunity to offer their opinion of health and physical education topics, complete individual and group assignments, review for tests, and most importantly collaborate with classmates.  As a “wiki rookie”, my initial plan will be to keep it simple and have students complete a 7 day food diary in order to gain a better understanding of their eating habits.  After the data of their food diary has been entered, students will be required to apply their knowledge of nutrition topics (balanced diet, My Pyramid, five food groups, serving size) when analyzing the food diaries of three classmates.  Students will review these food diaries and respond to prompt questions.

• What have others done that is similar? In the past, I have had students complete this “food diary” assignment on paper and then exchange with peers for the purpose of analysis and reflection.  There are many other types of student participation wikis, but none specifically addressed to meet the needs of my students.

• What performance drivers might prevent them from learning with this tool? Rarely, do I experience motivation or incentive problems with my students.  I do not predict that these drivers will impact this (technology based) assignment.  However, I could easily see not so “tech-savvy” students having a problem interacting with the class wiki.  I have found from my own experience, working with a wiki is not all that difficult once you become familiar with the interface.  To remedy this skills/knowledge problem, I will get a clear understanding of student needs/experience using wikis and other open source websites.  I plan to clarify the ground rules and etiquette issues that can surface when using a wiki and then provide a hands experience for students to become familiar with the wiki prior to introducing the food diary assignment.  Individual food diary data will be entered in class using the mobile lap top cart.  I will be able to supervise the process and offer feedback/suggestions for struggling students.   Unfortunately, I will have no control over the home environment of students.  I know that most students do have internet access at home, but I will not be able to problem solve any usability issues from a distance.

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Of all the topics in the 7^th grade health curriculum, the nutrition unit provides students with skills that can be immediately applied to their lifestyle.  In addition to learning about traditional nutrition topics like the USDA’s “My Pyramid” (updated food guide pyramid), the five food groups, and the six main nutrients, students also learn how to make healthy choices, analyze nutrition labels, calculate daily caloric intake, recognize appropriate serving size, and menu planning skills.

I am planning to create a “nutrition” wiki for my students.   As this is my first attempt at creating and using a wiki with my classes, I do not want to be overwhelmed by managing a large number of students who are also first time wiki users.  With this in mind, the wiki will be created for one of my six classes (40 students).  Initially, I will limit the scope of this wiki to one topic of the nutrition unit.

The Basics:

Most 7^th grade students have no idea of how many calories they consume or what an appropriate serving size looks like.  A balanced diet, what is that?  In order to gain a better understanding of their eating habits, students will be required to document everything they eat for one week using a food diary.  This will be done at the beginning of the nutrition unit and again at the end of the semester.  Prior to any discussion about eating a balanced diet or introducing the guidelines of “My Pyramid”, students will complete the food diary worksheet.  They will record all meals, snacks, and beverages they consume.  To address serving size, students will be provided a guide that teaches them to use their hand as a measurement tool (ie- your fist is equivalent to one cup, or your thumb is equivalent to a tablespoon).  Once they have recorded this data, students will post the information to the class wiki.  After the students post their food diary, the topics of eating a balanced diet and the guidelines of “My Pyramid” will be discussed in class.  Once this foundation of knowledge is established, they will be required to review the food diaries of three classmates.

**The specific lesson plan details for  sub coverage would need to be determined at that time.  Due to our school schedule and the many transitions of my classes {health (35 minutes) and PE (60 minutes) are combined in a block schedule format}, this learning opportunity will need to take place over several days.

Days 1 & 2:  Introduce the challenge and cover the wiki basics, ground rules, and etiquette.  The mobile computer lab will be used for completing this assignment.

Day 3:  Hand out and explain/demonstrate how to use the food diary worksheet.  Students will practice completing the food diary with a sample menu for one day.

Day 4:  Hand out and explain how to use the serving size guide.  Many examples will need to be provided for students to practice using their hands as a measurement tool to determine appropriate serving size.

Day 5:  Begin using the food diary to track all meals, snacks, and beverages consumed for one week.

Day 6 & 7:  Students transfer food diary results to their class wiki page.

Day 8:  Peer review of food diaries using these prompts:

• Has this student completed his/her food diary for seven days?
• Did they include all of the required information (food/beverage description and serving size)?
• How does this diet meet the requirements of “My Pyramid”?
• In your opinion, has this student considered appropriate serving size?
• What recommendations can you offer to help your classmate eat a more balanced diet?

Potential risks:

1. Student problems using the wiki- The teacher would need to dedicate ample time and resources when introducing the wiki and how to properly manage/navigate the site.  Ground rules will also need to be established.
2. Vandalism of the site might be a problem.  I am starting with a good group of students and limiting the participants to one class.
3. Require a parent signature on the food diary to confirm the authenticity of the results.  Once this has been received, the student can post the results to the wiki.

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Activity- Student blog post: Reflecting on progress of personal fitness plan.

Standards addressed:

3.1   Assess one’s own muscle strength, muscle endurance, aerobic capacity, flexibility, and body composition by using a scientifically based health-related fitness assessment.

3.2   Evaluate individual measures of physical fitness in relationship to patterns of physical activity.

3.3   Develop individual goals, from research-based standards, for each of the five components of health-related physical fitness.

3.4   Plan a weekly personal physical fitness program in collaboration with the teacher.

3.5   Participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity a minimum of four days each week.

3.6   Assess periodically the attainment of, or progress toward, personal physical fitness goals and make necessary adjustments to a personal physical fitness program.

• Frequency:  How many days did you exercise this week?
• Intensity:  How hard did you work?  More specifically, were you in the training zone (60%-80% of max heart rate)?
• Time- How long were your exercise sessions?
• Type- What type of exercise did you perform?  Cardiovascular endurance?  Muscular strength?  Muscular endurance?

• Have you made progress towards achieving your fitness goals? 
• How do you know if you have made progress?

3.  Explain how you have included the following fitness training principles in your fitness plan.

• overload
• progression
• specificity

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• What did I learn? Google Maps released an update that allows users the opportunity to view map directions by choice of transportation.  Car, bike, walk/run…  step by step directions to your destination.  You can also create your own routes or take the suggestions offered by the site.
• What was my comment? “As a physical educator, rarely do I see many tech applications for PE. I could see students using Google Maps to plan a trip to a favorite location or maybe a vacation destination. Students could use the stationary bikes and/or the treadmills to accrue miles. They could translate these miles to a Google Map to reach their location. Always looking for ways to motivate students. Thanks!”
• What did I like about the site?   Tons of blogs and useful information.
• Dislike? none
• Continue following after this class?  I did add it to me Google Reader, but that does not necessarily mean that I will follow this blog.  Once this program is over, I am sure I will have some free time to catch up on my blog reading.

2. Great Principles?

• What did I learn?  Nothing new.  Larry Cuban is the author and he summarizes the evolution of today’s principals and all of the struggles they face.  He describes all of the “hats” a principal must wear and the challenge to achieve balance.
• What was my comment? “Great article.  It really got me thinking about the diverse group of principals I have worked with during my career.  They all had their strengths and weaknesses, unique personalities, and leadership style.  The best principal that I ever worked with had horrible people skills, treated all teachers as if they were beneath her, and was rather arrogant to boot.  However, this lady had a great educational mind.  She had a definite plan for her school and if you were interested in being a part of it, join in.  If not, then she would have preferred you to leave.  I both despised and admired her at the same time.  Very dynamic leader who got the best out of her staff.”
• What did I like about this site? simple, not much other content other than Larry’s thoughts.
• Dislike? the font of the tag section was confusing to read.
• Continue after this class? no

3. School Food Matters: Parent Survey Results

• What did I learn?  I learned about the concerns parents had about the food service options offered for their children.  It seems as if most parents would prefer fresh options, but might not be willing to pay for these options.  Something that I never thought about school lunches was how to properly market this service to the clients (students/parents).  The author provided a few marketing strategies.
• What was my comment? “Interesting survey.  In my district, they have proudly eliminated selling sodas in all schools.  However, they allow other high sugar drinks with limited nutritional value.  The meals are usually pre packaged, processed, and frozen. Fresh fruit is offered, but with all the other junk food options, the choice is easy for the 12-14 year old students.  What tastes better to this population…  an apple or ice cream?”
• What did I like about this site? As a health teacher, I was immediately interested from the blog’s title, but was rather disappointed with the results.  Nothing really wrong with the site, but just not all that appealing.
• Dislike?  limited topics
• Continue after this class? no

• What did I learn? Another blog from Richard Byrne.  He created a very practical concept map that guides teachers through the creation of a web site, blog or wiki.  The map reinforces many of the skills that I learned throughout the COMET program.  This would be a great resource for any teacher attempting to build a website.
• What was my comment? “Richard, I liked the concept map.  I recently created a web site for my students and parents and this map would have helped.  Other tools that I have used on my site are a calendar and a class forum.”
• What did I like about the site? Blogs are easy to read and informational is practical.  Do not need much experience or tech skills to understand and use these ideas.
• Dislike? none
• Continue to follow after this class? I did add it to me Google Reader, but that does not necessarily mean that I will follow this blog.  Once this program is over, I am sure I will have some free time to catch up on my blog reading.

5. Jackie’s School Food Blog: Coco Pops Update

• What did I learn? This blog is very interesting.  It points out the controversial subject of corporate vs. public responsibility.  How far will food companies like Kellogs go to get customers?  Jackie discusses the marketing techniques and how powerless a young person is over these tactics.
• What was my comment? “Jackie, I totally agree with you!  At what point will corporations like Kellogs be held accountable for polluting and possibly addicting our children?  Morgan Spurlock makes a similar case against McDonalds in the Super Size Me.  These companies specifically target young people and are intent on having this population hooked for life.
• What did I like about this site? The content.  I thought this blog post was 100% accurate.
• Dislike? none
• Continue after this class? Possibly.

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Blog #1:

After about forty minutes of touring the edublogs site, I finally figured out how to post this new blog.

I teach physical education and health at Rancho del Rey Middle School in Chula Vista.  Our program is actually titled Human Performance and Well-Being (HPWB).

The only experience I have with blogs is reading them.  I enjoy reading primarily sports related blogs.  I have never attempted to implement blogs with my physical education students.  My only experience with wikis has been in the ed tec program.  I have created a class website that my students and their parents frequently access and think adding a “PE related” blog would be great way to encourage students/parent interaction.

My 2 truths and 1 lie:

1- I have participated in a World Series.

2- I am a proud Italian.

3- While in college, I saw 21 Grateful Dead concerts.

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