In this edition of Technology and Physical Education I would like to discuss ways to prepare for the Winter season, and ways to promote a healthy NEW YEAR by developing activities to encourage creativity, which makes for an interesting way to keep students involved during the Winter season.

Signing up for the NASPE listserv, from Sportime, will keep you abreast of all information in health and physical education being shared by teachers across the country. Included in this issue will be a continuum of vocabulary terminology, and tips and tricks to be utilized with software and hardware applications and programs.

Please check the Technology Archives for other vocabulary terms, and to better understand the definitions below. Because of the myriad of new types of the beagle virus that has inundated our email inbox, along with spyware, I would like to distribute information explaining these issues.

W32.Beagle.CQ@mm is a mass-mailing worm that uses its own SMTP engine to send out copies of another threat, Trojan.Lodear.D. The worm also opens a back door on the compromised computer using TCP port 80, and also lowers security settings.

WORM- a program that replicates itself over a computer network, and usually performs malicious actions such as using up the computer's resources or shutting the system down.

VIRUS- a program or piece of code that is loaded on the computer without your knowledge. A virus can replicate itself.

SPYWARE – any software that covertly gathers user information through the users Internet connection, usually for advertising purposes.

MALWARE – destructive viruses and worms, intrusive spyware and adware, and nuisances like spam mail and popups.

SIGNS OF INFECTION:

	Free space drops
	PC runs slower
	Takes longer to load
	Windows doesn't start
	Software freezes
	Task manager doesn't run
	Program files increase
	Out of memory messages
	Anti-virus is disabled
	Unfamiliar messages
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: EMAIL
	Paris Hilton
	SMTP
	Registration
	Confirmation
	Password
	Messages from many names

Curriculum Mapping - a web based application to record, in real time, essential elements of the curriculum, such as content, skills, objectives assessments, benchmarks, and reference materials.

Webopedia - searchable online directory and search engine for computer and Internet terms.

Teacher Planet - theme based lesson plans, rubrics, certificates, and worksheets.

PE Software - provides software, instructional materials, online courses, and professional development for the field of physical education.

Education World - lesson plans, professional development, icebreaker activities, preparation for the first day of school ideas.

Here are some tips to get the Winter Season started on a positive note that will continue to make the process a successful and rewarding experience. Taking preventative action is your best defense against having to deal with winter conditions.

	Eat healthy. Consume a sufficient amount of fruit and vegetables while staying with energy needs. Select all five vegetable sub groups. Consume 3 or more ounce-equivalents of whole grain products a day. Consume 3 cups per day of fat free or low fat equivalent milk products.
	Engage in regular physical activity, and reduce sedentary activity, to promote health and a healthy body weight. Achieve physical fitness by including cardio-vascular conditioning, stretching exercises, and resistance exercises for muscular strength.
	Establish a walking club to develop an exercise journey with a Winter theme. Offer seminars or demonstrations on power walking or Speed walking. Organize a family planned and measured walking route, or involve local community recreation departments for an expanded event. In the winter months, plan activities in shopping malls called Walking in a Winter Wonderland. Contact the malls for walking routes, and developed walking policies. In February, establish a Ground Hog Shadow contest with photos that match the person in shadow profile for weight control activities.
	Work with the class room teachers to develop a fitness walking trail at recess in the school halls that are monitored by a Parents Advisory Club. This can also be incorporated after school hours for the community, seniors, and teachers.
	Develop a fitness calendar that includes the entire school year to serve as a resource tool (check out the Best Practices link at PE Central, and the link for the calendar at Fitness Calendar.

Include the Family

	Make family chores a winter activity by shoveling the driveway, sweeping the steps, and volunteering to remove snow for neighbors or the elderly.
	Explore activities in the community. Check out a family membership at the YMCA for using the pool and gym together.
	Create a reward system to track winter activities: http://aarp.stepuptobetterhealth.com

Prepare the Way

	Prepare yourself in regard to the school building and grounds, including making all safety checks for all equipment.
	Review all school policies and procedures to make sure you are aware of fire and emergency evacuation processes.
	Make friends, not only with support staff, but with other teachers and administrators.

Prepare Your Learning Area

	Taking precautions: preparing properly for cold weather activities can reduce accidents
	Be aware of risks: Wear proper clothing, warm up before exercising, check out all safety concerns ( temperature, ice, snow, and any objects that protrude in the activity area.
	Obtain supplies and equipment that is appropriate to each grade level.
	Notify friends/family of your activity route: avoid perspiring and being overtired, don't leave areas of skin exposed, avoid walking on ice or getting wet, pack dry clothing and radio/matches, carefully watch for signs of cold weather problems.
	Enhance awareness, change behavior and create environments that support good health practices.
	Physical activity can make the connection: Establish a Wellness Fair to raise awareness, demonstrate resources, and inform the students about choices.

There is growing concern about sedentary lifestyles are helping to promote an epidemic of childhood obesity, with experts estimating that 30 percent of American schoolchildren are overweight or obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 6-8 percent of schools provide the daily physical education classes that advocates recommend.

Why not make a few resolutions to help combat this growing problem in regard to your students?

Resolution 1:
Make your physical education class a place where students try a variety of activities so they can find activities they wish to use the rest of their lives.

Resolution 2:
Provide high energy, academically integrated, enjoyable activities that enhance motor development and school readiness skills.

Resolution 3:
To resolve that the obesity and diabetes epidemic be wiped out and that a sedentary lifestyle be a thing of the past.

Resolution 4:
Resolve that physical education be staffed by specialists, and not by classroom teachers or lay providers.

Resolution 5:
Teach children about nutrition and healthy food choices, safety and injury prevention, balance and moderation in diet and exercise, and to decrease television viewing and video games.

Resolution 6:
Join a fitness facility to develop a strategy to maintain appropriate body weight.

Resolution 7:
To exercise at least 30 minutes a day on a minimum status and a maximum of 60 minutes (plus).

Resolution 8:
Make an appointment to get a checkup to examine and maintain a healthy outlook in the years to come.

Resolution 9:
Improve long term outcomes by changing lifestyle environment.

Resolution 10:
To serve as a public relations salesman to spread the word about the importance of health and physical fitness.

Braintypes: learn what the types are and the meaning to identify your inborn design.

Exploratorium: take an interactive tour to examine the sport science of skateboarding, baseball, hockey and other popular sports.

Human Anatomy Online: take an interactive tour of the body by clicking on an icon to discover the systems of the body.

Artificial Anatomy: try the Smithsonian's paper mache body models, and click on body parts to play an interactive activity that matches with a model.

Human Anatomy: check out the information, print outs, and diagrams that comes complete with websites and coloring pages.

PE Technological Software at Bonnie's Fitware, inc.

Easy Thumbnails - This program automatically changes images to thumbnails for easier production in web pages. Even though XP has a version that does the same task, Easy Thumbnails has settings to edit the image (brightness, saturation, resolution).

Capture – this quick utility is used for taking screencaps at any resolution or color depth.
Allows you to capture the entire screen, at any color depth and resolution, and save it into a Bitmap file for editing. Check out this site to find out more information.