Remote PE
Screens and exercise - working in harmony
We are certain that virtual Physical Education is a baffling concept for many; admittedly, it took us some time to grapple with the idea ourselves, especially given that we are required to teach it!
The Australian Sports Commission advises that young people accumulate at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day at a moderate to vigorous intensity. This is backed up by advice from the Heart Foundation, Betterhealth, the Australian Medical Association and the Department of Health. The predicament is, though, how are we going to achieve this in a remote setting?
Screen-based exercise is by no means a new phenomenon. Jane Fonda’s 80s aerobics, Channel 10’s Aerobics Oz Style, Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo and 10 minute YouTube fitness sessions are just some of the screen-based exercise programs inspiring lounge room fitness across the globe. Screens and exercise have existed in harmony for a very long time and Physical Education at Preshil intends to leverage this harmony and use it to our advantage.
Year 7
Students have assumed the role of 'personal trainers' and, in consultation with a 'client', will develop a fitness program based on specific goals. 'Clients' will record their progress and seek advice from their 'personal trainers' if modifications to the program are necessary.
Year 8
Students started the term by spending some time in their home kitchens, creating ‘healthy’ substitutions from originally unhealthy recipes, to wrap-up their knowledge of nutrition and diets they learned in Health during Term 1.
Their current unit Issues in Sport & Society is based on principles of culture, diversity and ethics and, within this, covers sub-themes that are present in the everyday world but through the lens of sports. Topics include discrimination of race, gender, disability, religion, symbolic nationalism, cheating, drug use, gambling, violence, integrity, fairness and global accessibility/opportunities.
There is a larger theoretical component in this unit, so this time is being well used to cover and analyse various audio/visual material such as documentaries, podcasts and journalism text types, which are followed by interactive activities. Some practical aspects like Yalunga Traditional Indigenous games and modified Adaptive Sport inquiry will be trialled in distance education, however we look forward to conducting an intensive compact skill development time when students return and can utilise equipment to participate in a breadth of games which holds strong symbolic nationalism across various global contexts, like AFL, Gaelic football and Rugby.
Year 9
Students started a unit based around the principle of aesthetic movement and spend their synchronous PE sessions harnessing the fluidity of their limbs to create an animated and dynamic sequence of movements.
In conjunction with the dedicated Physical and Health Education program, student-led initiatives such as an invitation to participate in a virtual Mothers Day Classic are filtering throughout the school community. There is also word of a school-wide push-up challenge, so watch this space if you’ve got an eye for ultimate push-up performance.
Ashleigh Greaves
ashleigh.greaves@preshil.vic.edu.au
AND
Emily Nancarrow
emily.nancarrow@preshil.vic.edu.au
Teachers of Physical & Health Education