I'm taking Dr. Sathers advice and starting a collaboration on the following topic:

      What should physical education look like in the year 2020 and beyond?

NASPE's PE2020 initiative seeks to answer this question by inviting physical education teachers, college/university faculty, physical education teacher candidates, K-12 students, parents, school administrators, policymakers, community members, and other key supporters (e.g., public health professionals, medical community) to share visionary thoughts about the future of physical education.

PE2020 is a website where students, parents and teachers are invited to submit their vision for the future of physical education in 500 words or less. Learn more: www.pe2020.org. To encourage participation NASPE is giving away prizes for individuals and for K-12 classes – including a monthly drawing for an iPod shuffle® and a Walk4Life physical activity pack of pedometers.

 

Michael Calkins Vision for 2020

With obesity cripling our school children, I believe school districts will take the appropriate action to combat this disease.  I see the future entailing longer P.E. classes, with a focus on cardiovascular fitness.  More emphasis will be placed on making sure each child participates in P.E. class, instead of being a wall flower, or brushed to the sidelines. Healthy eating and decision making will be incorporated into each lesson plans. Instructors will realize the importance of teaching children how to be active at home, an education they will be able to take with them for the rest of their lives. I see P.E. being a vital part of each childs school day. Instead of having P.E. once or twice a week, it will be an everyday occurance for a longer period of time. Lastly, I see a bright future for Physical Education as more people realize its importance.

Perhaps, more stakeholders including educators, students, parents, and the community will realize and value the importance of physical education if going forward in the future, we developed national standards and a curriculum that better integrated Health and P.E. standards so that our students could make better connections with what they are being taught in the classroom and could apply the concepts to their daily lives.  Just as dieting cannot be a “quick fix”, physical education and health must become embedded in one’s lifestyle.  There are several ways this aim can be accomplished.  We are teaching the “internet generation” and there are many ways Physical Education teachers can incorporate technology to engage students and interest them into learning about eating and living healthy as well as being physically active and fit.  For instance, we can create a Virtual Gym experience where various stations could be set up to offer differentiation based upon students’ needs and interests.   We could offer a nutrition station, where students learn about caloric intake, the food pyramid, reading food labels, and even learn how to prepare healthy meals with a guest chef.  We could set up a Wii Fit Plus station which combines fun and fitness into one product as well as offers a combination of fun designed for everyone.  Furthermore, we could offer students to get Personal Trainer certifications and lead workout classes during gym class (i.e., student led twice per week).  These are just a few ideas how we can renew our approach to health and physical education to meet the needs of the 21st century learner.

Vision for 2020 and Beyond in Physical Education-Chris Presley

I also see the obesity problem in America in both children and adults lending to a more conscious society in regards to physical education in schools. This process has already begun in many school systems across the country. Until there is more universal legislation for the curriculum of physical education in America’s school systems this will be more of a work in progress than an actual reality. I envision this process taking big leaps up to 2020, but not completely realized. There needs to be more emphasis on this issue at school board meetings across our country. We have a problem with children these days not buying into physical activity as in the past.  Times do change but instituting a program nationwide where children can get their recommended amounts of physical activity daily in a school setting can help us move into a healthier direction.  I see in the near future more money and resources being allotted to reinvent physical education. Technological advances such as the Wii and Dance Dance Revolution have already been introduced into schools to appeal to one of the biggest sectors of our nation’s lack of physical activity, the video gamers.  I envision technological tools such as these to give birth to new ideas in the area of technology in physical education and to make the course more interactive and exciting for children. By doing these things we will increase motivation to become more active and help children realize the benefits of a active and healthy lifestyle. Before all this can happen, our educational decision makers need to evaluate the current situation and accept suggestions from all who want to give them. Parents, children, teachers, and professionals in the field should have input on the direction physical education goes through 2020 and beyond.