Technology in Physical Education & Life After... S. Airola

Technology in Physical Education & Life After...

How does an athlete examine and critique their athletic movements and physical skills?  An app called Coach’s Eye allows for observations by way of slow-motion video.  Physical Education teachers and coaches are going to be piloting motion analysis to improve posture, foot and hand placement, and self-assessments in various courses including Strength/Conditioning and Dance.  The app allows students to see themselves and annotate over things like arm movements or leg placement.  The teacher has the ability to utilize the app’s “voice over” to give corrective feedback to students and send information to their emails.  

Speaking of apps, Polar Gofit is being piloted by a group of teachers and students in the Spring.  Polar Gofit is an iPad app that allows physical education instructors to track individual students’ heart rates during class and keep a complete record of their performances over the course of the school year.  Teachers can create a customized set of heart rate goals for each student and then follow the students’ progress through the class in real time. This helps the instructor make sure students are getting the exercise they need all the while monitoring them on the outside chance that some might be overdoing it.  Forget about under the shirt heart rate straps because Polar just came out with OH 1 which is an armband that can track heart rate the same way!  Get ready Sandburg!  

How about Screenbeam?  In the Jane Caliendo Aquatic Center, students are trending upward in terms of learning basic swim skills through our new “outdoor TV”.  Sunbrite offers an outdoor all-weather monitor that gives teachers the ability to display swim, snorkeling, and kayaking skills to our visual learners.  Teachers are posting learning objectives, sharing underwater video, and give students the tools to succeed in technique and efficiency in the water.

Sean Airola

Carl Sandburg High School

PE Division Chair