After helping to lead Minnesota into online physical education courses almost 10 years ago, Minneapolis high schools are adding a wrinkle that automatically records a student's activity.
Ten online PE students donned Movband step-tracking wristbands this fall in a pilot test aimed at automatic recording of their activity. When the second semester begins this month, at least 200 are expected to wear the $35 bands to make sure they meet the course's requirement for physical movement.
Students in the pilot liked that the bands take care of record-keeping. "It's a heck of a lot easier than entering [data] in every single day and hoping that they qualify," said Washburn junior Noah Solfest.
To qualify, students must do at least 15,000 recorded moves, the equivalent of more than half an hour of activity; 30 such days are required per quarter.
The advantage for a student like Solfest is that activities ranging from pickup football to shoveling snow to rehearsing for the school musical can count. Shoveling heavy snow can add as many as 6,000 moves, Solfest said.
The bands can also influence behavior. Some days, for example, Solfest has walked the two miles home from Washburn to meet his activity quota.
Online physical education includes a combination of exercise and computer-based study of healthy habits. It allowed Solfest to preserve time in his school calendar to take French and another elective.
Freeing up time in the schedule is one reason that a number of Minnesota districts have turned to online phys ed. Goodrich said state education officials have told him that tens of thousands of students have taken gym using the Minneapolis approach.
