North Carolina schools offering gym as an online course (really)

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For all the parents who tell their kids to log off their devices and get outside – a new program may just keep them online a little longer.

North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS), an online school funded by the North Carolina General Assembly, is set to launch an online physical education class this coming school year.

How will it work?

“Teachers will provide video demonstration of a physical activity or sport, then students will practice those skills and build their own video portfolios to document their progress and display mastery,” a press release posted by the N.C. Department of Instruction explains.

The online gym class will provide those students enrolled in the virtual school with a well-rounded education, says Karen Creech, an instructional director.

“We knew there was a need to offer PE online, so we thought outside the box and came up with a program that we believe will give students a valuable high school physical education experience,” Creech told reporters. “Now that we will provide PE online, NCVPS offers all the courses a student would need to earn a diploma from his or her local high school.”

And while the concept seems a bit like a spoof, the school board plans on rolling it out in two North Carolina counties this September, with hopes to expand to the state’s largest city, Charlotte, in 2016. So much for sitting on the sidelines with a ‘stomach ache.’