alternative assignments for pe

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Non-Traditional Sports in P.E.

Over the past decade in teacher education, I have evolved my practice to support student teachers to teach Health and Physical Education globally in various school contexts. Whether it be the demographics of a school community, the economic disparities of the surrounding communities, or various educational policies and practices that are supported at the school or board level, a question that remains to transcend any school context is this…

“What conditions are necessary for young people to thrive in Physical Education?”

In my first class, I ask my student teachers to reflect on their personal experiences in HPE. I ask them to create a human value line in the gymnasium according to whether they had a positive , mediocre , or negative experience; all conditions that impact the degree in which one thrives in PE. From there, I ask my student teachers to “fold the line”, partnering up with a peer and share their differing perspectives and experiences in PE.

“My PE experience from grades 1-12 in Canadian schools can be described using two words “sporty” and “disengaging”. Students were expected to model the exact same steps as their HPE teacher without being encouraged to inquire and examine through different lens to understand why certain skills, rules and tactics work in certain situations.”

“With sports like volleyball, it often resulted in a very short rally with the students who were really good at the sport became quickly bored and the students who were not (like me) became further disengaged with the idea that ‘I can’t do it’”

This exercise allows student teachers to deconstruct their attitudes towards PE and to think about the “so what” – how will these attitudes inform their understanding about teaching PE?

The Ontario 2015 Health and Physical Education curriculum states “To be effective, instruction must be based on the belief that all students can be successful [thrive] and that learning in health and physical education is important and valuable for all students.”

Scott Kretchmar (2006) identified five criteria for meaningful experiences in physical education. These criteria help guide how learning activities might be planned to foster meaningful experiences for all students. Each component is important of itself but are related and can influence one another. The five criteria include:

• Social interaction
• Challenge “just right”
• Motor Competence
• Personal Relevant Learning (recently added by the LAMPE Learning About Meaningful Experiences in Physical Education project team)

Consider implementing into your PE program non-traditional North American sports such as Tchoukball, Omnikin, Speedball, and Danish Longball. These novel-type games can foster meaningful experiences in PE as they:

• Provide new experiences for students while equalizing the playing field for all levels of ability
• Provide opportunities for positive social interaction to develop interpersonal skills easily translated into other aspects of their lives
• Develop movement competence with an appropriate level of challenge and promote fun, joyful movement experiences.

Tchoukball:   A game with a social conscience

Tchoukball , was invented by Dr. Hermann Brandt in 1968 with a focus on team work, fair play and respect as fundamental components of the game. With no interception and physical contact, students of all abilities, gender, and size can play together regardless of skill differences. Brant, believed “the objective of human physical activities is not to make champions but to make a contribution to building a harmonious society”.

Check out this video clip for a very informative overview of Tchoukball using the TGFU approach.

Omnikin: A game with a focus on cooperation

Kin-Ball  is a team sport created by a physical education professor, Mario Demers, from Quebec in 1986 and is now played world-wide. This game is unique due to the large ball size and the number of teams that play at once. Matches are played with three teams at once instead of the traditional 1 vs 1. View a rather humorous, yet informative, overview of Kin-Ball .

Speedball: A game with a focus on student self-efficacy

Speedball is a fast-paced game that combines many aspects of other sports. It is a hybrid game of soccer, basketball, and European handball. Students can decide whether they want to strike and receive the ball with their feet or their hands! Play the ball on the ground – play soccer. Play the ball in the air – play European handball. Students can choose the challenge that is just right for them to enjoy and have success in the game. Check out this version of Speedball by CIRA (Canadian Intramural Recreation Association).

Danish Longball: A novel game that promotes decision making as a player and a team player

A bat and ball game founded in Denmark, Danish Longball is a hybrid game of baseball, kickball, cricket, and rounders, with lots of action and little static play. The game involves individual and team responsibilities when introducing students to the realm of striking and fielding games. Learn more about Danish Longball.

I suggest you give these games a try, especially at the beginning of the school year. They can help establish a respectful learning environment, build community, and lay a foundation for meaningful experiences in PE!

“When movement is experienced as joy, it adorns our lives, makes our days go better, and gives us something to look forward to.  When movement is joyful and meaningful, it may even inspire us to do things we never thought possible” (Kretchmar, 2008).

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Alternative PE Assignments

Assignments:

9th Grade Health & Physical Education (ALL SECTIONS)–

Note: Missed PE days do not have to be consecutive. ANY day that is missed will need to be made up for points, or it remains a 0/20. Makeup work for 1-3 days must be done within 1 week. Make-up work for 6+ days must be done within 2 weeks.

Physical Education - ​

IF YOU MISS FITNESSGRAM TESTING AND NEED TO DO THE ALTERNATIVE ASSIGNMENT, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN!

1 Day Miss - ANY day students have missed, you must complete ONE alternative assignment sheet. You have 3 options: 1 Article Review, 1 Fitness Homework or 1 day of Fitness Club . If you are in school when you miss the activity for that day, you will complete the article review assignment in the gym. If you are uninjured/healthy and miss class, you may choose either option, including Fitness Homework & Fitness Club. You will be responsible for printing materials off and turning it in, or submit electronically to my email, [email protected] . If you are absent, you will be responsible for going onto my teacher website and complete the chosen assignment on your own time.

OPTION 1: Article Review - You may read an article related to PE and answer 4 questions about it.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ARTICLES - click "Alternative PE Assignments" then " 1 Day PE" then "Articles" and choose an article, fill out the google form to the right and hit submit

OPTION 2: Fitness Homework - You will complete one of the Fitness Homework assignments on the page below

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS FITNESS HOMEWORK - click "Alternative PE Assignments" then click "1 Day PE" then "Fitness Homework" and PRINT an assignment, complete it, and turn it in to me in person, or scan and email it to me

OPTION 3: Fitness Club - Click here for more information.

3 Days Missed - After 3 FULL days, you will complete ONE article for EACH those days missed, along with ONE of the 2 projects given. 1) Research Paper about Fitness Professions 2) Exploration of Fitness Center.

If you miss 3 or more days of the second half of class (during Team and Individual Sports time) please choose one of the sport projects to complete from the Sport Learning Packet. PLEASE only print out the pages that you need, not the entire packet.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS 3 DAY MEDICAL PROJECTS - click "Alternative PE Assignments" then "Project - 3 Days" and choose one of the 2 projects

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS 3 DAY MEDICAL PROJECTS - click "Alternative PE Assignments - 3 Days" then "Sport Learning Packet", choose a sport and PRINT the pages you need.

6+ Days Missed - After missing 6 class periods, they will complete the "3 Days Missed" assignments, along with a weekly workout sheet, indicating activity they have done for that week. If they are unable to complete physical activity, according to doctors orders, they may choose to do another "Medical" Project.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ARTICLES - click "Alternative PE Assignments - 1 Day"

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS 3 DAY MEDICAL PROJECTS - click "Alternative PE Assignments - 3 Days"

12+ Days Missed - Teacher and student will speak about making accommodations for make-up work.

MEDICAL FOR MORE THAN 2-3 WEEKS: Personal Fitness with an Injury Project must be done. Please click

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS PERSONAL FITNESS WITH AN INJURY PROJECT - click "Alternative PE Assignments" and click Personal Fitness With an Injury

FitnessGram Testing:

Each FitnessGram Test is counted as a 10 point Summative; PACER, Curl Ups, Push-Ups, Trunk Lift and Sit and Reach. It will be about once per month in S1.

If you miss ANY FITNESSGRAM TEST you must make it up on during your class period during the make up day (usually the next class). If you miss that , you may do the attached "FitnessGram Make up Assignment" for half credit, unless you arrange a time to make it up before/after school with Mrs. White. If you have a medical reason, you may do the same assignment for full credit.

If you want to RE-DO your test on the make-up day, you may also do that to replace your original score. You may also arrange with Mrs. White to come before or after school. You may get 1 RE-DO of each test each round of testing.

• Teaching & Learning

Why PE lessons are evolving

It’s a common sight at the start of a PE lesson: the student clutching a note explaining why they can’t take part. Most, of course, have valid reasons, but there will also be those who simply don’t like PE or feel anxious about taking part. 

Helping those students to overcome these issues isn’t easy for PE teachers but doing so could soon be more crucial than ever: in December 2021, the House of Lords published a report recommending that PE should be a core subject, alongside English, maths and science. 

The report points to evidence which suggests that more lessons, longer breaks and additional sports facilities could improve student mental health and overall health outcomes. The obstacles schools face in facilitating those recommendations include funding, lack of curriculum time and exam pressure. 

And yet some schools are already actively trying to engage more students in PE, despite the challenges. 

Alternative PE: ripsticks, skateboarding and yoga

Jenna Strain is a PE teacher at Selby High School in North Yorkshire, where, over the past five years, her department has increased the number of options available. They now offer 32 different activities, including rollerblading, boxercise and mountain biking. Since Easter, ripsticks, skateboarding and other street sports have also been added. 

While key stage 3 lessons are focused on helping students to learn new sports safely, older students are able to choose between different themed “pathways”. The “mental health” pathway, for example, offers yoga, dance fitness and exercise classes.

This doesn’t mean that they’ve done away with their football and netball teams, though. 

“The competition elements are still there with traditional sports,” says Strain, with school teams competing in local leagues.

However, the impact of the pandemic made it even more urgent to update the offering. Covid led to a widespread “lack of confidence”, says Strain, and simple things, such as changing into PE clothes at school, suddenly became barriers for some pupils.

As a result, her department has focused on engaging students who have lost confidence, making sure there were activities to suit every interest.

Another school adjusting its PE curriculum is The Wherry School, a specialist academy provision for autistic students with mainstream ability profiles. 

Principal Rachel Quick says that the school used to run a standard PE curriculum but that “even with small class sizes, it was awful”. The sensory experience of shouting, loud noises or competing visual stimuli could be overwhelming for some, while others struggled with the physical touch, loss of personal space or sense of negative judgement that came from competitive team sports.

Instead, the school now runs “physical enrichment”: a choice-based exercise programme that allows students to pick between a rotating set of six to eight sports per half-term. The students can choose the activities that resonate with them, Quick explains, giving them ownership of the journey, which leads to better engagement. 

The move towards individualised sport 

According to Dr Justen O’Connor, an associate professor at the School of Curriculum Teaching and Inclusive Education at Monash University in Australia, it’s no surprise that the approaches outlined by Strain and Quick are resonating with pupils - they reflect a wider movement in society. 

O’Connor says that adults are moving towards “individualised ‘sport my way’”, and away from organised, competitive sporting hobbies. He witnessed this phenomenon while he was president of a small, regional cycling club in his hometown in Australia.

“We would host regular competitions and 20 people would turn up. The next day, with the same course and no competition, we would get 50 people,” he says. “And I was asking the question, why are there more people turning up to the non-sport version of what we do when they’re essentially the same?”

Similar patterns are evident in the UK, where casual exercise activities, such as Park Runs, have seen a boom in participation. Indeed, in 2015, Park Runs attracted more than double the number of participants that took part in the London Half Marathon. 

“Even traditional sports are being turned into these less structured, less rigid, less competitive forms of participation,” O’Connor says.

In a new research paper, “Rethinking the classification of games and sports in physical education: a response to changes in sport and participation”, he proposes the addition of five kinds of “sports” to the school curriculum. 

They are lap or circuit sports, such as swimming lengths or running laps; route or journey sports, like road cycling or trail running; rush or action sports, such as skateboarding or surfing; stunts or tricking sports, like parkour or trampolining; and rhythmic or aesthetic sports, such as rhythmic gymnastics or dance.

O’Connor explains that all of these sports fall under the umbrella of “parallel play” - a term that comes from peer sociability studies in the 1930s. They allow students to work independently in the same spaces, which makes them more inclusive, and offer them opportunities to practise key skills, and get active, without the pressure of “winning” or making the team.

“[At the] skate park, kids are skating side by side - there’s no winner. They mastered a trick that was at their level that they couldn’t do two days ago but now, because they practise, they can, and they’re getting better. They can see people who are better than them, people who are worse than them, and they see themselves moving up on a continuum,” he says.

With the global trend towards more individualised sport in full swing, the need to engage all students in physical activity post-Covid, and the recommendations from the House of Lords around PE becoming a core subject, more schools may soon wish to draw on O’Connor’s model. 

How to make the funding work

But how realistic would this be in schools with stretched PE departments and dwindling budgets? 

According to O’Connor, there are small, inexpensive changes that can make a difference, such as focusing on student voice.

As part of his research, he and his team explored “mapping exercises”, which give students the opportunity to use their orienteering skills to assess their local environment and make a “map” of all the different places on school grounds or in local spaces that could be used to make a new PE activity.

In groups, students can then design an activity they would like to take part in, such as a 5K fun run in the park. 

Strain agrees that student voice can be really valuable: “At the end of the day, you are learning from the child; you are not going in with an assumption of what they will or won’t engage with,” she says.

Getting the right continuing professional development in place is also crucial, she adds. At her school, teachers were trained in a range of activities, from learning to ride a mountain bike to getting their boxercise certification. 

Staff have also had to jump some logistical hurdles in order to realise their vision, such as developing new risk assessments and sourcing funding for equipment.

There is help out there for schools on the funding front: Sport England, for example, offers a grant scheme, as does the National Lottery Fund.

But both Strain and Quick stress that, if you really want to make PE more inclusive, it takes a whole school commitment. Time has to be set aside for implementing changes to the curriculum and addressing any reticence among staff.

O’Connor believes that all of this work will be worth it, though. 

While there are important lessons in sportsmanship that children can learn through oppositional sports, the message that there must always be a winner and a loser in physical activity is not “nice” for children, he says - especially those who are already ambivalent or averse to PE. 

And sometimes, he adds, making the traditional sports more inclusive is simply about reframing the activities. 

“If you think of a net and ball game, say volleyball or tennis, I’m standing opposite my opponent and it’s very clear who wins. There’s no dispute: one will be better than the other and the scoreboard will tell you,” he says. 

“So, that’s where we open up the question; we change it from ‘how do you beat your opponent?’ to ‘what kind of questions would you need to ask if we wanted to make this fun and engaging for a group of people?’ And the tactic then is not about ‘how do I beat you?’, it’s about ‘how do we include others and have a shared experience?’”

Schools don’t need to do away with their netball, football or rugby, he stresses: “We’re saying there is more to think about here than just the traditional, competitive team-based sports that dominate [PE].” 

So, who’s up for an hour at the skatepark? 

Molly Bolding is a freelance journalist, inclusion consultant and online educator

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Killing the Research Paper: Building Successful Alternative Assignments: Home

Alternative assignment ideas.

• Alt. Assignments: Why & How

Created using Wordle -  © 2013  Jonathan Feinberg

WHY Consider and Alternative Assignment?

"Alternatives can . . .

• lighten the grading load
• be used to develop abilities on the way to writing complex papers
• provide ways of using other strengths our students might have
• accustom students to different voices and modes of communication
• allow students to create work for a larger audience, and go beyond work that is only seen by the student and the professor
• create opportunities for making a contribution beyond the class" (1)

HOW to Create an Alternative Assignment

Be clear and honest - what are you trying to accomplish?

• Focus on student learning or course outcomes. Make sure you have a few clearly written, attainable outcomes. 
• Standard research paper outcomes include research, writing, understanding of content, citing. Think outside the box and see if there are any other outcomes that will teach students practical and necessary skills such as visual literacy, web publishing, video skills, etc.

Decide what kind of assignment would work best. There are lots of options!

• Definitely bounce ideas off your librarian and other campus resources like CAT ! And keep in mind that Information Commons is available to help you teach technology tools (like iMovie, Wordpress, etc) or can serve as the place where you direct questions to throughout the semester.
• Take a look at resources under the Examples tab on this LibGuide.
•  Think through the details - format, time commitment, process, support resources, individual/group effort, methods of assessment, etc.
• Be aware that some assignments may change your original learning outcomes. You'll want to revisit and realign, add, or adjust so that the assignment meets needs and isn't stretching itself too far.

Set clear expectations and communicate them with your students early and often.

• If possible, share rubrics with your students at the beginning of the process. Examples are also very helpful if available.
• Be flexible - you may have to adjust due dates or the intended process. Give your students a clear path to communicate problems or successes.

Gather students feedback about the process. This is really helpful to continually improve the assignment moving forward.

• (1) Alternatives to Term Papers From Seeley G. Mudd Library of Lawrence University.

From Butler University:

• Example: Infographic Created by Information Commons student employee Rachel Patterson.
• Example: Web Project Central Asia Created by Dr. Ramsbottom's Fall 2014 GHS classes.
• Example: Web Project for GHS Islam Created by Dr. Keating's 2 sections of GHS in Fall 2014.

Have an example that you'd like to share? Email it to [email protected]

From beyond Butler:

• Alternatives to Research Papers From the University of Connecticut Libraries
• Alternative Research Assignments From IUPUI's University Library
• Creative Library Assignments From Gustavus Adolphus College. Lists actual assignment examples by discipline.

Does the assignment accomplish the student learning outcomes?

• GHS Project Expectations Students in Dr. Keating's sections of GHS are introduced to Project Expectations early in the process, and they can continue to visit this page if they have questions.
• Rubrics for Assessment From the University of Wisconsin STOUT School of Education
• RubiStar Allows you to create your own rubric or use templates (includes Multimedia, Products, etc).

Teresa Williams

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To contact the librarian that supports the discipline or subject area covered by this LibGuide, email  Sally Neal , Head of Instruction, [email protected].

Check the Butler Libraries'  website for regular semester hours and holiday and break hours.

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• Last Updated: Dec 8, 2023 12:58 PM
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

At Dripping Springs ISD, Physical Education programs are an integral part of every student's education. DSISD believes that students will perform better in the classroom and in all phases of life when they have an active lifestyle and feel positive about their physical development. PE programs include a multitude of activities at all levels so that each student can experience success.

PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE In an effort to improve children's health through the public school system, state law requires that the Fitnessgram physical fitness assessment be administered to all students in Grades 3-12 who are enrolled in a Physical Education course or a course for which physical education credit is awarded. At the end of the school year, a parent may submit a written request to obtain the results of his or her child's physical fitness assessment conducted during the school year.

Information about the Physical Fitness Assessment and DSISD's assessment window can be found in English and Spanish .

OFF-CAMPUS PE Students who qualify for Category I are eligible to receive a class period for Olympic PE. Category 2 qualifiers will be eligible for P.E. Credit, but not a class period. High school students can earn up to 1 credit per school year regardless of the level of participation.

Dripping Springs ISD shall award state graduation credits in high school or allow two (2) physical education course substitutions in middle school for participation in approved physical activities if the student is enrolled in a full-day schedule and meets at least one of the following criteria:

• the student is participating and competing in at least one school-sponsored athletic program outside of the regular school day; or
• the student is on a school-sponsored cheerleading squad outside of the regular school day; or
• the student participates in an Olympic-level activity and/or competition with the student supervised by a district-approved vendor for a minimum of 15 hours per week (Category I); or
• the student participates in private or commercially sponsored physical activities supervised by a district-approved vendor for a minimum of five (5) hours per week (Category II).

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All student forms please send to your campus counselor.

INFORMATION FOR ALTERNATIVE PE PROVIDERS The Off-Campus Provider application is always open. Applications can be emailed with middle school grades approved at the district level. Providers are placed on the Vendor List for three consecutive school years and then must reapply to remain on the list. Please email the completed provider application to [email protected] .  

Off-Campus PE Provider Application

Category I - Olympic-level participation and/or competition Program Requirements:

• Students must be supervised a minimum of 15 hours per week with highly intensive professional training
• The training facility, instructors, and the activities involved in the program are certified by the superintendent of schools to be of exceptional quality
• Students qualifying and participating at this level may be dismissed from school for no more than one period per day
• Students do not miss any class other than physical education to participate in the program

Category II - Private or commercially sponsored physical activities that are not Olympic level but are certified by the superintendent of schools to be of high quality

Program Requirements:

• Students are well-supervised by appropriately trained instructors
• Students participate in physical activity for at least five hours per week
• Students certified to participate at this level are not dismissed from any part of the regular school day
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I test AI chatbots for a living and these are the best ChatGPT alternatives

Claude 3, Gemini and more all impress

• Best overall: Claud 3

Best for Live Data: Google Gemini

Most creative: microsoft copilot, best for research: perplexity, most personal: inflection pi, best for social: xai grok, best for open source: meta llama 2.

Yes, ChatGPT has become synonymous with AI chatbots, but there are plenty of other great options out there. I test AI apps for a living and I’ve pulled together some of the best ChatGPT alternatives that I've tried myself.

Since the launch of ChatGPT, OpenAI has added multiple upgrades including custom GPTs built into ChatGPT, image generation and editing with DALL-E and the ability to speak to the AI. You can even use it without an account .

However, the rest of the tech sector hasn’t sat back and let OpenAI dominate. Some of its competitors equal or exceed the abilities of ChatGPT and others offer features it doesn’t. From Claude and Google Gemini to Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity, these are the best ChatGPT alternatives right now. 

Best Overall: Anthropic Claud 3

Claude 3 is the most human chatbot I’ve ever interacted with . Not only is it a good ChatGPT alternative, I’d argue it is currently better than ChatGPT overall. It has better reasoning and persuasion and isn’t as lazy. It will create a full app or write an entire story.

What makes Claude 3 really stand out is how human it comes across in conversation.

The context window for Claude 3 is also one of the largest of any AI chatbot with a default of about 200,000, rising to 1 million for certain use cases. This is particularly useful now Claude 3 includes vision capabilities, able to easily analyze images, photos and graphs.

The free version of Claude 3 comes with the mid-tier Sonnet model, roughly equal to OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 or Google’s Gemini Pro. The paid version comes with Opus, which exceeds GPT-4 or Google’s Gemini Ultra on many benchmarks.

Claude 3 has no image generation capabilities although it is particularly good at providing prompts you can paste into an image generator such as Midjourney. It is also better at coding than some of the other models.

Pricing: Claude 3 costs $20 a month for the Plus version with Opus. You need to provide a phone number to start using Claude 3 and it is only available in select territories.

Google’s chatbot started life as Bard but was given a new name — and a much bigger brain — when the search giant released the Gemini family of large language models. It is a good all-around chatbot with a friendly turn of phrase. It is also one of the most cautious and tightly moderated .

Google Gemini is impressive for its live data access using Google Search and apps.

Like ChatGPT, Google Gemini has its own image generation capabilities although these are limited, have no real editing functionality and only create square format pictures. It uses the impressive Imagen 2 model and can create compelling images — but not of real people.

Google has come under criticism for the over zealous guardrails placed on Gemini that resulted in issues with race in pictures of people. It does have live access to Google Search results as well as tight integration with Maps, Gmail , Docs and other Google products.

The free version uses the Gemini Pro 1.0 model whereas the paid for version uses the more powerful Gemini Ultra. There is also a new Gemini 1.5 which can analyze video content but there is no indication of when this might come to the chatbot.

Pricing: Gemini Advanced is the paid for version and is available for $19.99 bundled with the Gemini One subscription service. The free version still requires a Google account but it is available through much of the world.

Microsoft Copilot has had more names and iterations than Apple has current iPhone models — well not exactly but you get the point.

Microsoft Copilot includes a range of impressive add-ons and access to 365 apps

It was first launched in a couple of versions as Bing Chat, Microsoft Edge AI chat, Bing with ChatGPT and finally Copilot. Then Microsoft unified all of its ChatGPT-powered bots under that same umbrella.

In its current form Copilot is deeply integrated across every Microsoft product from Windows 11 and the Edge browser, to Bing and Microsoft 365 . Copilot is also in enterprise tools. While it is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4-Turbo, Copilot is still very much a Microsoft product.

Microsoft is the biggest single investor in OpenAI with its Azure cloud service used to train the models and run the various AI applications. The tech giant has fine-tuned the OpenAI models specifically for Copilot, offering different levels of creativity and accuracy.

Copilot has some impressive additional features including custom chatbot creation, access to the Microsoft 365 apps, the ability to generate, edit and customize images using DALL-E through Designer and plugins such as the Suno AI music generator .

Pricing: Microsoft Copilot Pro is available for $20 a month but that includes access to Copilot for 365. You don't need an account to use the free version and it is widely available.

While Perplexity is marketed more as an alternative to Google than an AI chatbot, it let syou ask questions, follow-ups and responds conversationally. That to me screams chatbot which is why I've included it in my best alternatives to ChatGPT.

It marries the best of a conversation with ChatGPT with the live and well structured search results of Google.

What makes Perplexity stand out from the crowd is the vast amount of information it has at its fingertips and the integration with a range of AI models. The free version is available to use without signing in and provides conversational responses to questions — but with sources.

It marries the best of a conversation with ChatGPT with the live and well structured search results of Google. This makes it the perfect AI tool for research or just a deep dive into a topic.

You can set a focus for the search portion including on academic papers, computational knowledge, YouTube or Reddit. You can also disable web search and just use it like ChatGPT.

Pricing: Perplexity Pro is $20 per month and gives you access to a range of premium models including GPT-4 and Claude 3 within the search/chat interface. 

Pi from Inflection AI is my favorite large language model to talk to. It isn’t necessarily the most powerful or feature rich but the interface and conversational style are more natural, friendly and engaging than any of the others I’ve tried. 

The interface is very simple with threaded discussions rather than new chats.

Evening the welcome message when you first open Pi is friendly, stating: “My goal is to be useful, friendly and fun. Ask me for advice, for answers, or let’s talk about whatever’s on your mind.” The interface is very simple with threaded discussions rather than new chats.

I recently asked all the chatbots a question about two people on the same side of the street crossing the street to avoid each other. Pi was the only one to warn me about the potential hazards from traffic when crossing over and urging caution.

Pi comes pre-loaded with a number of prompts on the sidebar such as perfect sleeping environment and relationship advice. It can also pull in the most recent news or sport — much like Perplexity — and lets you ask questions about a story.

Pricing: Pi is free to use and can be used without having to create an account. It also has a voice feature for reading messages out loud.

Elon Musk’s Grok is almost the anti-Pi. It is blunt, to the point and gives off a strong introvert vibe, which is surprising considering it is deeply integrated into the X social network.

Its guardrails are less tightly wound than others.

Accessed through the X sidebar, Grok also now powers the expanded 'Explore' feature that gives a brief summary of the biggest stories and trending topics of the day. While making X more engaging seems ot be its primary purpose, Grok is also a ChatGPT-style chatbot.

Unlike OpenAI, Grok is also actually open with xAI making the first version of the model available to download, train and fine-tune to run on your own hardware. The big differentiator for Grok is what Elon Musk calls “free speech”. Its guardrails are less tightly wound than others.

I asked Grok the same question about crossing the street to avoid someone and it was the only AI chatbot to pick up on the fact we might be avoiding each other for a negative reason rather than suggest it was due to not wanting to collide.

Pricing: Grok is now available with an X Premium account. It previously required Premium+. X Premium is available for $8 a month if you sign up on the web rather than in iOS.

Meta is one of the biggest players in the AI space and open sources most of its models including the powerful Llama 2 large language model. It will also open source Llama 3 when it comes online this summer. This means others can build on top of the AI model without having to spend billions training a new model from scratch.

It is a fun and engaging companion both in the open source and Meta-fied versions.

Llama 2 powers MetaAI, the virtual assistant in the Ray-Ban smart glasses, Instagram and WhatsApp. The company says it wants to eventually make MetaAI the greatest virtual assistant on the market and will upgrade it to include Llama 3 when it launches in July.

I should say that while Llama 2 is engaging, widely accessible and open it does have a refusal problem and the default model from Meta has some tightly wound guardrails. The company says this will be solved with Llama 3.

Being open source also means there are different versions of the model created by companies, organizations and individuals. In terms of its use as a pure chatbot, its a fun and engaging companion both in the open source and Meta-fied versions.

Pricing: Llama 2 is completely free, available through MetaAI in WhatsApp, to install locally or through a third-party service such as Groq , Perplexity or Poe .

More from Tom's Guide

• ChatGPT Plus vs Copilot Pro — which premium chatbot is better?
• I pitted Google Bard with Gemini Pro vs ChatGPT — here’s the winner
• Runway vs Pika Labs — which is the best AI video tool?

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Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?

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Healthy Living with Diabetes

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How can I plan what to eat or drink when I have diabetes?

How can physical activity help manage my diabetes, what can i do to reach or maintain a healthy weight, should i quit smoking, how can i take care of my mental health, clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes.

Healthy living is a way to manage diabetes . To have a healthy lifestyle, take steps now to plan healthy meals and snacks, do physical activities, get enough sleep, and quit smoking or using tobacco products.

Healthy living may help keep your body’s blood pressure , cholesterol , and blood glucose level, also called blood sugar level, in the range your primary health care professional recommends. Your primary health care professional may be a doctor, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. Healthy living may also help prevent or delay health problems  from diabetes that can affect your heart, kidneys, eyes, brain, and other parts of your body.

Making lifestyle changes can be hard, but starting with small changes and building from there may benefit your health. You may want to get help from family, loved ones, friends, and other trusted people in your community. You can also get information from your health care professionals.

What you choose to eat, how much you eat, and when you eat are parts of a meal plan. Having healthy foods and drinks can help keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in the ranges your health care professional recommends. If you have overweight or obesity, a healthy meal plan—along with regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and other healthy behaviors—may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. In some cases, health care professionals may also recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight, or weight-loss surgery, also called metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Choose healthy foods and drinks

There is no right or wrong way to choose healthy foods and drinks that may help manage your diabetes. Healthy meal plans for people who have diabetes may include

• dairy or plant-based dairy products
• nonstarchy vegetables
• protein foods
• whole grains

Try to choose foods that include nutrients such as vitamins, calcium , fiber , and healthy fats . Also try to choose drinks with little or no added sugar , such as tap or bottled water, low-fat or non-fat milk, and unsweetened tea, coffee, or sparkling water.

Try to plan meals and snacks that have fewer

• foods high in saturated fat
• foods high in sodium, a mineral found in salt
• sugary foods , such as cookies and cakes, and sweet drinks, such as soda, juice, flavored coffee, and sports drinks

Your body turns carbohydrates , or carbs, from food into glucose, which can raise your blood glucose level. Some fruits, beans, and starchy vegetables—such as potatoes and corn—have more carbs than other foods. Keep carbs in mind when planning your meals.

You should also limit how much alcohol you drink. If you take insulin  or certain diabetes medicines , drinking alcohol can make your blood glucose level drop too low, which is called hypoglycemia . If you do drink alcohol, be sure to eat food when you drink and remember to check your blood glucose level after drinking. Talk with your health care team about your alcohol-drinking habits.

Find the best times to eat or drink

Talk with your health care professional or health care team about when you should eat or drink. The best time to have meals and snacks may depend on

• what medicines you take for diabetes
• what your level of physical activity or your work schedule is
• whether you have other health conditions or diseases

Ask your health care team if you should eat before, during, or after physical activity. Some diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas  or insulin, may make your blood glucose level drop too low during exercise or if you skip or delay a meal.

Plan how much to eat or drink

You may worry that having diabetes means giving up foods and drinks you enjoy. The good news is you can still have your favorite foods and drinks, but you might need to have them in smaller portions  or enjoy them less often.

For people who have diabetes, carb counting and the plate method are two common ways to plan how much to eat or drink. Talk with your health care professional or health care team to find a method that works for you.

Carb counting

Carbohydrate counting , or carb counting, means planning and keeping track of the amount of carbs you eat and drink in each meal or snack. Not all people with diabetes need to count carbs. However, if you take insulin, counting carbs can help you know how much insulin to take.

Plate method

The plate method helps you control portion sizes  without counting and measuring. This method divides a 9-inch plate into the following three sections to help you choose the types and amounts of foods to eat for each meal.

• Nonstarchy vegetables—such as leafy greens, peppers, carrots, or green beans—should make up half of your plate.
• Carb foods that are high in fiber—such as brown rice, whole grains, beans, or fruits—should make up one-quarter of your plate.
• Protein foods—such as lean meats, fish, dairy, or tofu or other soy products—should make up one quarter of your plate.

If you are not taking insulin, you may not need to count carbs when using the plate method.

Work with your health care team to create a meal plan that works for you. You may want to have a diabetes educator  or a registered dietitian  on your team. A registered dietitian can provide medical nutrition therapy , which includes counseling to help you create and follow a meal plan. Your health care team may be able to recommend other resources, such as a healthy lifestyle coach, to help you with making changes. Ask your health care team or your insurance company if your benefits include medical nutrition therapy or other diabetes care resources.

Talk with your health care professional before taking dietary supplements

There is no clear proof that specific foods, herbs, spices, or dietary supplements —such as vitamins or minerals—can help manage diabetes. Your health care professional may ask you to take vitamins or minerals if you can’t get enough from foods. Talk with your health care professional before you take any supplements, because some may cause side effects or affect how well your diabetes medicines work.

Research shows that regular physical activity helps people manage their diabetes and stay healthy. Benefits of physical activity may include

• lower blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
• better heart health
• healthier weight
• better mood and sleep
• better balance and memory

Talk with your health care professional before starting a new physical activity or changing how much physical activity you do. They may suggest types of activities based on your ability, schedule, meal plan, interests, and diabetes medicines. Your health care professional may also tell you the best times of day to be active or what to do if your blood glucose level goes out of the range recommended for you.

Do different types of physical activity

People with diabetes can be active, even if they take insulin or use technology such as insulin pumps .

Try to do different kinds of activities . While being more active may have more health benefits, any physical activity is better than none. Start slowly with activities you enjoy. You may be able to change your level of effort and try other activities over time. Having a friend or family member join you may help you stick to your routine.

The physical activities you do may need to be different if you are age 65 or older , are pregnant , or have a disability or health condition . Physical activities may also need to be different for children and teens . Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Aerobic activities

Aerobic activities make you breathe harder and make your heart beat faster. You can try walking, dancing, wheelchair rolling, or swimming. Most adults should try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Aim to do 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at one time. You can break up physical activity into small amounts during your day and still get the benefit. 1

Strength training or resistance training

Strength training or resistance training may make your muscles and bones stronger. You can try lifting weights or doing other exercises such as wall pushups or arm raises. Try to do this kind of training two times a week. 1

Balance and stretching activities

Balance and stretching activities may help you move better and have stronger muscles and bones. You may want to try standing on one leg or stretching your legs when sitting on the floor. Try to do these kinds of activities two or three times a week. 1

Some activities that need balance may be unsafe for people with nerve damage or vision problems caused by diabetes. Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Stay safe during physical activity

Staying safe during physical activity is important. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Drink liquids

Drinking liquids helps prevent dehydration , or the loss of too much water in your body. Drinking water is a way to stay hydrated. Sports drinks often have a lot of sugar and calories , and you don’t need them for most moderate physical activities.

Avoid low blood glucose

Check your blood glucose level before, during, and right after physical activity. Physical activity often lowers the level of glucose in your blood. Low blood glucose levels may last for hours or days after physical activity. You are most likely to have low blood glucose if you take insulin or some other diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas.

Ask your health care professional if you should take less insulin or eat carbs before, during, or after physical activity. Low blood glucose can be a serious medical emergency that must be treated right away. Take steps to protect yourself. You can learn how to treat low blood glucose , let other people know what to do if you need help, and use a medical alert bracelet.

Avoid high blood glucose and ketoacidosis

Taking less insulin before physical activity may help prevent low blood glucose, but it may also make you more likely to have high blood glucose. If your body does not have enough insulin, it can’t use glucose as a source of energy and will use fat instead. When your body uses fat for energy, your body makes chemicals called ketones .

High levels of ketones in your blood can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) . DKA is a medical emergency that should be treated right away. DKA is most common in people with type 1 diabetes . Occasionally, DKA may affect people with type 2 diabetes  who have lost their ability to produce insulin. Ask your health care professional how much insulin you should take before physical activity, whether you need to test your urine for ketones, and what level of ketones is dangerous for you.

Take care of your feet

People with diabetes may have problems with their feet because high blood glucose levels can damage blood vessels and nerves. To help prevent foot problems, wear comfortable and supportive shoes and take care of your feet  before, during, and after physical activity.

If you have diabetes, managing your weight  may bring you several health benefits. Ask your health care professional or health care team if you are at a healthy weight  or if you should try to lose weight.

If you are an adult with overweight or obesity, work with your health care team to create a weight-loss plan. Losing 5% to 7% of your current weight may help you prevent or improve some health problems  and manage your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. 2 If you are worried about your child’s weight  and they have diabetes, talk with their health care professional before your child starts a new weight-loss plan.

You may be able to reach and maintain a healthy weight by

• following a healthy meal plan
• consuming fewer calories
• being physically active
• getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night 3

If you have type 2 diabetes, your health care professional may recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight.

Online tools such as the Body Weight Planner  may help you create eating and physical activity plans. You may want to talk with your health care professional about other options for managing your weight, including joining a weight-loss program  that can provide helpful information, support, and behavioral or lifestyle counseling. These options may have a cost, so make sure to check the details of the programs.

Your health care professional may recommend weight-loss surgery  if you aren’t able to reach a healthy weight with meal planning, physical activity, and taking diabetes medicines that help with weight loss.

If you are pregnant , trying to lose weight may not be healthy. However, you should ask your health care professional whether it makes sense to monitor or limit your weight gain during pregnancy.

Both diabetes and smoking —including using tobacco products and e-cigarettes—cause your blood vessels to narrow. Both diabetes and smoking increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke , nerve damage , kidney disease , eye disease , or amputation . Secondhand smoke can also affect the health of your family or others who live with you.

If you smoke or use other tobacco products, stop. Ask for help . You don’t have to do it alone.

Feeling stressed, sad, or angry can be common for people with diabetes. Managing diabetes or learning to cope with new information about your health can be hard. People with chronic illnesses such as diabetes may develop anxiety or other mental health conditions .

Learn healthy ways to lower your stress , and ask for help from your health care team or a mental health professional. While it may be uncomfortable to talk about your feelings, finding a health care professional whom you trust and want to talk with may help you

• lower your feelings of stress, depression, or anxiety
• manage problems sleeping or remembering things
• see how diabetes affects your family, school, work, or financial situation

Ask your health care team for mental health resources for people with diabetes.

Sleeping too much or too little may raise your blood glucose levels. Your sleep habits may also affect your mental health and vice versa. People with diabetes and overweight or obesity can also have other health conditions that affect sleep, such as sleep apnea , which can raise your blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including diabetes. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life.

What are clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes?

Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies —are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help health care professionals and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Researchers are studying many aspects of healthy living for people with diabetes, such as

• how changing when you eat may affect body weight and metabolism
• how less access to healthy foods may affect diabetes management, other health problems, and risk of dying
• whether low-carbohydrate meal plans can help lower blood glucose levels
• which diabetes medicines are more likely to help people lose weight

Find out if clinical trials are right for you .

Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

What clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes are looking for participants?

You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on healthy living with diabetes that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www.ClinicalTrials.gov . You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe for you. Always talk with your primary health care professional before you participate in a clinical study.

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

NIDDK would like to thank: Elizabeth M. Venditti, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

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Have pets? Here are alternatives to pet insurance for saving money

Pet insurance runs $47 per month per pet on average, survey shows.

Marilyn Moritz , Reporter

We treat our pets like family members, spending billions of dollars a year on veterinary bills a year.

But before you sign up for a pet insurance policy, Consumer Reports says there may be better ways to save money on medical care for Fido and Fluffy.

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Paulina Vargas has had pet insurance on previous pets. But now, with her dogs, Nigel and Bella, she decided to skip it.

“It makes more sense for us not to be paying monthly fees for the pet insurance,” she said. “We decided it’s the best option for us to just pay it out of pocket.”

A survey by Consumer Reports revealed pet owners are pretty unhappy with pet insurance coverage.

“In the survey, over 2,000 members shared their experience with pet insurance, covering everything from what’s actually covered to the premiums they paid and the claims process for getting reimbursed. And overall, there was no real top dog. Most of the results found that the insurance companies were all pretty middle of the pack,” said Consumer Reports’ Brian Vines.

Consumer Reports looked at survey data on eight pet insurance providers. On average, the total cost was around $47 per month per pet. That does not include deductibles or copays.

Six insurance providers earned a midrange overall satisfaction score. Those were PetsBest, embrace, trupanion, ASPSCA, and Nationwide.

Two, Fetch and Banfield, earned unfavorable ratings.

So what can you do to save? Vines suggests putting what you would spend on the insurance premium into a dedicated savings account.

“Self-insure by putting away money every month into a direct deposit high-yield savings account that you can draw from should your fur baby need some medical assistance,” Vines said.

If you’re struggling to afford medical care for your pet, consider a trip to a veterinary college that may offer discounts on everything from checkups to spaying and neutering.

And if your pet needs medicine, shop around. Ordering medications online from places like Chewy, Petco, PetMeds, and Walmart Pet Pharmacy can be cheaper.

Consumer Reports says you can also try telehealth vet services like Bond Vet and Pawp for non-emergency care.

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About the Author

Marilyn moritz.

Marilyn Moritz is an award-winning journalist dedicated to digging up information that can make people’s lives a little bit better. As KSAT’S 12 On Your Side Consumer reporter, she focuses on exposing scams and dangerous products and helping people save money.