Opening the Gymnasium to the World Wide Web

Mills, Brett, JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance

Computer technology can enhance the learning of students (Dwyer, 1994). However, it appears that computer technology is underused in the physical education setting. The information in this article may help physical educators justify allocation of a computer for their department.

The computer may be the most pivotal invention in the advancement and delivery of education since the printing press. No resource is more important to storing information than the computer. Even more important than information storage is the rapid accessibility to that stored information. With the development of the World Wide Web, educators now have ready access to current information in a matter of seconds. For instance, a physical educator teaching a unit in baseball could access such things as rules, diagrams, product information, history of the game, lead-up games, or curriculums from other schools. Not only is information easily accessible, but it is current. The World Wide Web can be constantly updated and revised.

Terminology

Most people are excited about the possibilities of the World Wide Web, but apprehensive because they lack technical working knowledge. The terminology of technology is difficult to understand. The following is a simplified explanation of computer technology.

The Internet is a network of computers that are cooperating together to share information through dedicated data lines or phone lines. Internet cooperation is similar to the interstate system. Interstate 70 will connect Colorado to Indiana, but only if Kansas and Illinois are part of the cooperation.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a graphical interface allowing users to display textual information enhanced by graphics and pictures. The World Wide Web uses html--hyper-text mark-up language--to display pictures and graphics. A World Wide Web Browser (e.g., Netscape and Mosaic) allows html to be translated into a readable form.

Because of the vast amount of information available via the World Wide Web, finding what you need is not always easy. One tool that makes the process easier is called the search engine. Search engines allow users to specify what information they are seeking and …

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Publication information: Article title: Opening the Gymnasium to the World Wide Web. Contributors: Mills, Brett - Author. Journal title: JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. Volume: 68. Issue: 8 Publication date: October 1997. Page number: 17+. © 2009 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). COPYRIGHT 1997 Gale Group.

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