Fun, Active Ways to Integrate Coding for Kids in PE Class
Kevin had already established himself as a technology-forward educator in his school so he was intrigued when the district technology director emailed him about coding for kids in PE class using Unruly Splats.
Tiller explained, “[The Technology Director] told me that the district had a technology grant that would be perfect for using Splats to incorporate coding for kids in PE. After I had a chance to try Splats, I immediately thought of ways we could incorporate STEM in the gym by using them in the warm up, fitness, and focus section of my class. I applied for the grant to get 30 Splats and it was accepted.”
Integrating STEM and Coding for Kids in Physical Education
Tiller was especially excited to bring Unruly Splats to the gym to integrate coding for kids in PE.
“It’s unique that a PE teacher be the first in a school to use a new technology that involves STEM in the gym. I was very excited to get the kids coding and playing around with [Splats]. I like that the students have ownership and they are the ones coding them to light up and make noise” Tiller said.
After using them once, the kids were hooked. “When they played one game with the Splats, the next class, they were asking if they could use them again! The kids were really excited about them.”
The Power of Online Community
Even before he started using Splats in his classes, Tiller was no stranger to technology. Seven years ago, he started his own website where he shared PE lessons online. He started the website as a way to share resources with PE teachers in his district. Within a week, he got an email from someone across the world saying that they really liked his content and his following started to grow. Now Tiller has 15.4K followers on Twitter and 2.68K subscribers on YouTube.
“I never put anything on my website or social accounts that I don’t think will be beneficial to other PE teachers. The biggest benefit of [the online community] is collaboration - a lot of teachers aren’t able to collaborate with others because they’re the only PE teachers at their school so they only get to interact with other PE teachers at conferences once a year. With Twitter, all you have to do is enter in keywords and everything is right there for you.”
Tiller especially loves how easy it is to get feedback from other teachers online. For example, he shared a PE activity he created called SOS. It was a partner activity where some students were active while their partners were standing still. Someone online suggested that they have the other students jumping rope while they are waiting for their partner to finish.
Tiller said, “I love when other people question what I do and get me to think deeper about it to make my lessons better. Once an idea for PE class is out there, everyone adds their own little spin and variation to it which is great.”
Show, Don’t Tell
His advice to other teachers looking to integrate coding for kids in PE class:
“Don’t take no for an answer. If you want to bring something into your class, find a way to get it. There’s so many ways -- PTO and PTA programs, DonorsChoose, district funds and grants -- be the squeaky wheel! Don’t just tell them you want it but show them how you could use this in class. Whether it’s going on Twitter and finding a video to show it in action or a website with a review of a product. Don’t let the roadblocks get in the way because there are people out there who will fund your projects if you’re willing to work for it.”
Tiller says they’re just scratching the surface of what they’re doing with coding for kids and Splats and will be using them even more going into November. Just last week he’s entered into a friendly competition with another PE teacher in Virginia, Eric Turrill, to see who’s students can get the most stomps on Splats in 20 seconds.
It may seem unconventional to teach coding in PE class, but many PE teachers are becoming leaders in integrating STEM in the gym. One of those educators is Kevin Tiller, better known online as PhysEd Review. Tiller is a PE teacher at West Elementary School in Andover, MA and he is always looking for new ways to improve his classes. Sometimes, that involves bringing in a new technology which sometimes that involves combining coding for kids with PE games.
To learn more about Kevin and how he’s integrating STEM in the gym, visit his website or follow him on Twitter.
Going Virtual This Fall?
Many educators will be starting off the school year virtually this fall. In fact, according to research by Market In Style, 43% of students use online learning platforms as helping tools while they’re doing their homework. Check out their full research article for more details and fun facts on e-learning.
