Vince Rusbosin

SLM-521

Journal Article Review

This article address the alarming number of children and adolescents who are plagued with obesity and are on their way to health related diseases. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of physical activities that are integrated into their lives. Encouraging reward systems in physical education have been found to be effective and enjoyed by most students. Computer programs and online assessments have been developed to emphasis health related physical activities and provide the students with concrete evidence of their accomplishments. Many experts say that incorporating computer technology into the physical education curriculum enhances and maintains interest and curiosity. Applying technology that students can access and follow according to class planning and on their own helps students to learn basic exercise concepts and adjust physical activity and eating habits accordingly.

Using computers and the internet in physical education to help educate students is a great idea. Getting into the good habits of tracking progress and set backs is difficult enough to learn as an adult. Teaching how to use computers for these purposes early in age will ideally help establish longterm habits. As a football coach I track each players lifting and running progress to show them that their hard work is paying off, and to motivate them to work harder even more. It seems to work, and I have players always asking me about the next test. I would like to research and learn more about the types of programs and online assessments. I like the idea of how students can log on to access and review their own data and progress. I hope that this catches on and that it will help take on the growing problem of children with obesity.

Hill, K. and Thornburg, R. (2006). Using Internet Assessment Tools for Health and Physical Education

Instruction. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning. Retrieved June 7, 2009 from, http://www.aect.org/Intranet/Publications/techtrends/4806.asp