by Jarrod Robinson
I get asked by teachers why anyone would bother introducing technology into Physical Education. This usually turns into quite an interesting discussion about what exactly do they mean by .‘technology.’, which is then typically followed up with concern over the replacement of Physical Activity for some sort of online alternative.
In this situation, I respond with the following:
- “Technology is all around us, it involves every aspect of Physical Education, from the shoes the students wear to the sports equipment used during the game. So I assume you are talking about digital technologies?.”
- “The introduction or emerging of digital technologies in Physical Education does not seek to replace physical activity; it aims to help explore physical activity. Technology becomes like any other tool in the PE teachers toolkit, useful for whenever the situation demands it, never just for the sake of it.”.
I would also indicate within my response that elite sports organisations take advantage of the latest technology to enhance sports performance. This is the same thing we try to achieve in Physical Education, albeit with students rather than sports stars.
A typical semester in my physical education classes would most likely involve 90% physical activity that included absolutely no involvement of emerging technologies. It.’s during the 10% of a semester that we spend exploring the powers of technology to improve our understanding of human activity.
So I urge you to read along as I take you through hundreds of ways you can utilise emerging technologies in your PE classroom for the better.
