Education Law

Skateboarding is newest assignment

A recent USA Today article informed us that some schools are getting creative with their physical education curriculum. BoardBuzz may not know all the skateboarding tricks, but we love to hear about how students are getting active.

Skateboarding has become physical education's newest undertaking. Thanks to Skate Pass, a company that designed a skateboarding program for schools, students from across the country are grabbing helmets and jumping on skateboards.

This untraditional exercise activity is meant to motivate students to enjoy gym class and acknowledges that athletics do not come easily to all. Oak Elementary School in Oregon is one school to adopt the program and is happy to offer something to students who may not play team sports.

"When people first hear 'elementary PE,' the first thing that comes to mind is dodgeball. Then all the other stuff they didn't like," says Jake Gerig, Oak Elementary's PE teacher.

We're trying to focus on lifetime activities that are non-competitive and individualized so students can learn at their own pace," Gerig says.

The Skate Pass curriculum requires students to use safety equipment including helmets, wrist guards, and knee and elbow pads. Teachers are provided with instructional DVDs to lead them through the curriculum, where students first learn safety and then skateboarding etiquette.

BoardBuzz is pleased that educators are looking for ways for all students to develop healthy excercises habits. For more information, check out those links.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on June 24, 2008 (boomark / email).