Shaping Up
Physical education classes have indeed changed since the days of dodgeball and team captains. Today, activities are less about competition and more about learning life skills. Cindy Kuhrasch, who coordinates the PETE program's elementary student teacher placements, sees physical education as "a lab for real life", where students have the opportunity to interact and practice social skills.
Philip Scruggs, assistant professor of kinesiology, charactereizes physical education as a way for kids to learn cognitive, affective, and movement skills through physically active lessons. "Physical education should be a content area where kids learn through moving, which is what distinguishes it from all other areas," Scruggs says.
Physical education class is not just for jocks anymore, either. One of the main goals of modern physical education is to encourage lifelong fitness, especially for individuals who are unlikely to play more traditional sports as adults.
Campus Connections, Focus
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