Physical education teachers need to integrate more technology into gym classes to engage students growing up with computers and video games. Heart rate monitors and activity trackers can motivate students by allowing them to see the results of exercise in real-time. Several instructional software programs and online resources were presented that incorporate fitness topics, simulate physical activities, and track students' progress. Integrating gaming into physical education classes could increase participation among more types of students.

1. Physical Education and Health Content Area Presentation Lori S. Crum EDTECH541

2. Problem Statement Childhood obesity is increasing in the United States at an alarming rate.

3. Strategy Give students the tools they need to be able to monitor their own level of fitness. Heart-rate monitors have allowed students to watch their heart rates rise and fall as they walk, jog, or sprint. The immediate feedback was an incentive for children who wanted to see the results of their work right away.

4. Internet for Instruction Activity Calorie Calculator -Let Fitness Partner calculate the number of calories you burn for 222 activities. Simply enter your weight and the duration you generally spend being active. We'll do the math and return a personalized activities page to you. Print your activities page and keep it with your exercise log or put it in your gym bag for reference. It's a great reminder of all the things you can do to stay active and healthy.

5. Calculate Your Body Mass Index : Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. Internet for Instruction

6. PBS Teachers -PBS Teachers is PBS' national web destination for high-quality preK-12 educational resources. Here you'll find classroom materials suitable for a wide range of subjects and grade levels. We provide thousands of lesson plans, teaching activities, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations. These resources are correlated to state and national educational standards and are tied to PBS' award-winning on-air and online programming. Internet for Instruction

7. Problem Statement Teaching a generation of students who grew up with computers and video games will require gym teachers to ditch dodge balls and kick balls for more advanced technology.

8. Strategy Integrate more computer-based projects into the curriculum. You can do that without specialized software as evidenced by the following activities.

9. Tool Software Microsoft Word- Letter to a drunk driver Microsoft Publisher- Poster Contest!..."Good Health and Fitness Practices” Microsoft Publisher- Want Ad: Healthy Eater iMovie, Windows Movie Maker- Public Service Announcements Microsoft Publisher – Fitness Advertisements Excel- A Puff Doesn’t Make You Cool

10. Problem Statement Same problem, only this time solved through instructional software: Teaching a generation of students who grew up with computers and video games will require gym teachers to ditch dodge balls and kick balls for more advanced technology.

11. Strategy Utilize webquests and simulations that integrate technology into the physical education curriculum.

12. Instructional Software Are You What You Eat -The saying goes "You are what you eat". Across the United States, seven main regions have developed their own cuisine based upon their origins. But we, as a nation, have been shown to have one of the highest incidences of heart disease due to our diet. You are a taskforce of home economics students whose mission is to publish a cookbook of healthy regional recipes for the United States. Included in this cookbook will be guidelines for healthy eating as well as sample menus from each region which meet healthy guidelines. All recipes must be tested and sampled by the class before inclusion in the cookbook."

13. Look Like a Rockstar - incorporate everything you have learned related to fitness into a fitness program to help you live a healthy lifestyle. What does it take to perform and look like a Pop Star? What type of workout do you need to perform to develop and maintain physical fitness? Instructional Software

14. Staying Physically Fit for a Lifetime - You can't participate in physical education class today? What a shame! For many students, physical education is a great time to release some energy and have fun! Hopefully you'll be back in action soon! While you’re missing today’s physical activity, I want you to learn about a lifetime sport of your choice. Lifetime sports are activities that can be played throughout your lifetime and don’t require a large group. Some examples of lifetime sports include: biking, golfing, swimming, rock climbing, playing tennis, canoeing and walking. There are also plenty more to choose. Explore your lifetime sport on the web and complete the worksheet. Instructional Software

15. Problem Statement Physical education has traditionally been a subject most enjoyed by students labeled as “jocks.” For students who do not fit that mold, physical education is often an embarrassing and uncomfortable experience.

16. Strategy Integrating gaming into gym classes—replacing the monotony of jumping rope or running laps—could increase participation among all students, rather than the sliver of "jocks" in every class.

17. Productivity Software Dipity.com- Time Line (Self Esteem) Gmaps Pedometer- Find out how many miles you run. Track your distance with gmaps .

18. Productivity Software Lesson planning sites to help locate physical education lessons with a technology component. TeachNet Michigan State University and Ameritech Discovery Education PE Central Internet4Classrooms

19. Resources Carter, Denis. Technology brings ‘new P.E.’ to schools, eSchoolNews . June 2008. http://www.eschoolnews.com/2008/06/10/technology-brings-new-p-e-to-schools/ http://www.pbs.org/teachers/classroom/9-12/ http://teachnet.com/category/lessonplans/health/ http://www.discoveryeducation.com/search/page/-/-/lesson-plan/health/index.cfm http://pecentral.com/lessonideas/searchresults.asp?category=58 http://www.internet4classrooms.com/links_grades_kindergarten_12/health. htm