In my opinion, online PE is an oxymoron. The accountability piece is massive in this situation. A course could certainly be created with objectives and activities to be completed with reflections. A teacher would have to be involved to assess the assignments, just as this course does.

As I type this reflection, I could see how it may work. If a student fails a Physical Education/Health course, the online program can be used for credit recovery. One person talked about having check ins with actual fitness testing which I felt was a great point. The students can take a fitness test at the beginning of the course and then at the end to measure their progress. The teacher would still have to be involved in assessment and there would have to be some days to meet with the instructor to take tests and do some other things along the way.

It seems like a slippery slope, but could work if set up properly. We all know how important physical education and physical activity is for our students and none of us want that taken away. The use of technology should be infused with our programs to enhance the content and bring it to life. If a kid is spending all his/her time online completing a physical education program, where is the activity? We need to make sure the student is active, and the best place to accomplish this is in the school.

There are some extenuating circumstances with students with injuries or illnesses. These students could benefit from online programs.

I see both sides of the argument. If I could choose, I would push for not having an online program over a traditional style. But if it were created with standards based goals, objectives, and assessments while keeping the teacher heavily involved, it could work.