Shaping Students' Beliefs and Interactions Related to Physical Activity

The Internet offers an ideal medium for connecting students with different backgrounds and beliefs and providing them with the opportunity for interactions related to physical activity. Many of us had pen pals when we were students. Today, students have keypals (a.k.a. epals). Keypals are students who connect with one another via electronic mail. They can share ideas, concerns, physical education/activity experiences, information, written assignments, and research. Through these connections, they learn to accept individuals from other communities and cultures. Sites such as http://www.pesoftware.com/pepals.html or http://www.epals.com are available to help teachers get started with this type of activity. They can visit one of the sites to find other physical educators interested in teaming for this type of project.

Students also can access an array of individuals with knowledge and expertise related to physical education, sports, and fitness. Olympic athletes, professional athletes, biomechanists, medical doctors, exercise physiologists, and motor learning specialists can provide students with insights regarding real-life experiences related to physical activity. Bonnie's Fitware sponsors the Olympic Athlete Project. This project began in 1995, when an Olympic rower was identified to share his trip to the Olympics with students. Steven Segaloff was a potential Olympic coxswain when he began communicating with students across the United States. He sent email messages every other week that dealt with his sport, his training program, the selection process, his relationship with the other rowers (teamwork), and his feelings about training and participating in the Olympics. Students, in turn, emailed back asking specific questions of interest to them.

Appreciation for a sport or dance can be enhanced through an understanding of its origins. The Internet and electronic encyclopedias provide students with access to a wealth of information, including the history of sports and dances. However, it is important that students are prepared to use this research tool. They must learn to double-check all references, examine author credentials, and cite resources.