As online higher education continues to roll forward, evolve, and update, we can't help but notice that online education has naturally made its way into K-12 (specifically secondary) education. You probably went to high school everyday (never cut, of course you were the perfect student) and you went to your actual high school building. You navigated the jungle of the hallway system, survived the lunchroom, and made your way into a classroom with other peers, a teacher, and a set of content that the teacher rolled out through lessons, activities, and assessments. But now think of high school like this: you wake up, roll out of bed, get your tablet booted up, and check your online course's module or daily update. You watch your teacher teach via webcast and all of your quizzes are online. You submit a paper, but you don't print it out--you upload it. You interact with your classmates through forum-based chats and teleconferencing. There's no hallway jungle, no fear of getting caught in a food fight, and no hard desk seat (unless your home is equipped with one-armed school desks).
Sounds brilliant, right? But what about classes like music where you play or sing with other people, in person/together? Or, even closer to home, what about Physical Education--how to do run, or work on game play as a team, or develop muscular endurance online? At least you could shower in the privacy of your own home, but what would a Physical Education "class" actually be like when you're alone at your laptop?
The next two weeks of PHED 370 will be directed around exploring the good, the not-so-good, and the potential of online Physical Education and online fitness programming. Get ready to think outside the gym and outside of your comfort zone.
First, watch this short video: Today's Active Digital Learner
Next check out some examples of what is available currently for online Physical Education in a district in Minnesota. Check this out and think about what it could be like as a student in this kind of a Physical Education class and what it would be like to teach Physical Education this way.
Florida Virtual Schools
Home page: http://www.flvs.net/Pages/default.aspx
Watch the FLVS quick start video:
In the myFLVS page, click on "Get Involved" and browse through
options to be involved online in student organizations & clubs
Physical Education in the FIVS Catalog:
And a little closer to home, Michigan is starting to develop an online high school education presence:
Michigan Virtual High
School
Check out some of their Physical Education Department options:
Personal Fitness Course
Blended Physical Education
Cost (MI): $99 Cost (Non-MI): $200
So, now it's your turn: in your blog comment (or comment to others' posts), explain what do you think is a point of huge potential in the Minnesota, Florida, and Michigan examples. Why should online Physical Education be an option and why should it stay?
Should teacher education programs start to focus more on how to incorporate online teaching strategies along with traditional face-to-face teaching strategies? Think about the very first video you watched...that IS one of your future students!
And finally, comment on what needs to be addressed and included before we really emphasize the future of Physical Education as an online option?
Feel free to comment more than once to address each topic of your discussion.
