Kaja Schwartz, 16, never liked PE class. That is, until she started taking the class online.
“One week they teach you hockey, the next week it’s basketball, and maybe the last week you learn a little about nutrition,” she said of some traditional physical education classes. “I think it’s really kind of a run-around class for athletes.”
Now, Schwartz said, “It’s not boring at all and I’ve learned a lot. This is the first time I’ve liked PE.”
It’s also the first time the class has been offered through the Everett School District’s Online High School Program. Three students are enrolled for the class this semester, and the course will be offered again through online summer school. There were 123 students enrolled in classes through Online High School last semester, officials said. According to Sally Lancaster, administrator for Online High School, teaching physical education online is all about helping students develop skills for a lifetime of fitness.
Along with assignments and quizzes to learn about nutrition, the body and overall health, students are required to keep a weekly fitness log, Lancaster said. Five times a week, students have to do at least one hour of exercise and take their heart rate before, during and after the activity. The log must be signed by an adult such as a parent or coach and turned in to the instructor.
“What we’re trying to do is asses the student’s knowledge in those content areas and then facilitate the development of their fitness plan and provide monitoring and encouragement on the fitness goals,” Lancaster said.
Being online, Lancaster said, the class offers a different learning route for students who may already be heavily involved in outside sports teams, those who aren’t able to participate in PE due to religious beliefs or self-image issues, or for those who simply need to free up their daytime schedule.
While there are some compromises in online courses, such as student-to-student interaction, “It’s a better way for some kids,” Lancaster said.
For Schwartz, the program has been a success.
She originally began taking classes online last year when the city bus schedule changed, making it hard for her to get to school and work on time. The online course allows her to study and do assignments on her own schedule, Schwartz said.
Before starting the class, Schwartz said she didn’t exercise; “I kept telling myself I have to walk, I have to walk.” Today, Schwartz averages one hour a day of walking five times a week, and says she plans to stick with her new healthy habit.
She’s gained other habits as well from the class: Schwartz said she now knows how to take her heart rate and why it’s so important, and how vital it is to drink water.
“I hate water, but I read that you can lose a couple of pounds just by drinking enough water,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz added that she plans to take her next two required PE classes online as well.
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