The Pros and Cons of Physical Education
Most of us remember gym class. For many of us, it was the most hated or the most anticipated class. Those that were a little bit heavier or not as athletically inclined may remember the class as a nightmare, while others may remember it as the most exciting time of the day. Either way, physical education was required. Today, however, the necessity of physical education classes is up for debate. Parents, faculty, council members, and even the government are weighing the pros and cons of allowing physical education in school. I believe that even though the funding being used to pay for equipment and gymnasiums could be better spent on books and materials for other classes, physical
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Professionals have stated that “youth receiving additional physical activity ten to show improved attributes such as increased brain function and nourishment, higher energy/concentration levels, changes in body build affecting self esteem, increased self esteem and better behavior... ” (Cocke, 2002)(Tremblay, Inman, & Willms, 2000)(Dwyer, Coonan, Leitch, Hetzel, & Baghurst, 1983)(Shephard, 1997)(Scheuer, Mitchell, 2003). As one can see, there are conflicting opinions on the subject of allowing students to choose whether they want to participate in physical education. It would seem that the health benefits outweigh other arguments but parents and psychologists still suggest that the physical education class raises psychological issues. Another issue that has been raised is the cost of physical education classes. Many parents, faculty and concerned taxpayers believe that the money used to provide gym equipment, uniforms, fields, gymnasiums and the like could be better spent in different areas of the school There are so many schools that are lacking in materials, books and computers , the money being spent in physical education classes could be used to provide these items and perhaps give a child a better education then he or she may have otherwise received . According to the 2010 Federal Budget Update on US Department of Education Grants, the President is
I. We all value our health over many other things because that is what keep us alive, but with
The Margaret Eaton School (MES) played an important role in Canadian physical education during a period of time known as the “golden age” for women’s sport in Canada. This essay will discuss how Margaret Eaton School came to be and why it is considered one of the leading schools in the development of women’s physical education in Canada in 1901, with the help of Emma Scott Raff and Margaret Eaton. The school started out as “The School of Expression” focusing on theatre and physical culture, and later (1925) shifted its views to focus solely on physical education. I plan to argue that from 1901 to 1942, the Margaret Eaton School played an innovative role in Canada in the development of physical education by offering women a comprehensive
First of all, students do not have much knowledge about the different fitness components; they do not understand the relation between the fitness components and health. If students acquire the background knowledge about fitness, it could improve the class engagement and motivation, and increase the independent drive to exercise. Second barrier to students’ achievement is the lack of motivation to be active, and even more difficult, to specific fitness activities, such as sit-ups and push-ups. In today’s society, students spend more time sitting in front a screen and less time moving. Parent and school today have more responsibility making sure the children get enough physical activity. According to the New York Times (2016), “early school physical education (PE) programs can make a significant difference, and the earlier these routines are learned the more likely they will be carried forth into a healthy adulthood”. Another barrier that prevents students’ success is the loss of instructional time due to discipline problems. The classes are too big, with many diverse students with individual problems, which are difficult to address when these issues are from very different backgrounds. Finally, there is not enough support from home affecting not only physical education, but
Physical activity has not only physical benefits. It also has a very big impact on social-emotional and cognitive aspects of child’s live. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “The development of a physically active lifestyle is a goal for all children. Traditional team and competitive sports may promote healthy activity for selected youth. Individual sports, noncompetitive sports, lifetime sports, and recreational activities expand the opportunity for activity to everyone. The opportunity to be active on a regular basis, as well as the enjoyment and competence gained from activity, may increase the chances that a physically active lifestyle will be adopted.”
First of all, athletes could get injured in gym class. 150% of athletes get injured and are not able to play the sports they love, just because of gym. Therefore athletes could perhaps run into something and get a concussion, which could also lead into not being able to come to school. Education classes outweigh the risks “ being healthy and underweight does not have to hurt”. You would not want to be hurt would you.
At one time, the American physical education programs were producing strong bodied and strong willed children. The common gymnasium was no less than an arena for students to release pent-up energy and to display their physical abilities. High schools were churning out more top-notch athletes than colleges knew what to do with and the gym soon turned into the Olympics for some. America was a force to be reckoned with and it made sure the rest of the world felt the strength of its young people. However, America is now in the worst physical shape it has ever been in and things seems to be getting worse for the future generations. Physical health has taken a backseat when it comes to higher education in recent years. With many middle schools and high schools cutting physical education programs due to a lack of funding and a greater focus on academic
Physical education classes are not enjoyed by all, in fact, some students do their best to get out of the class each day, but without this class, students would sit in school for seven hours a day with the only exercise being walking from class to class. While changing clothes and possibly getting sweaty may not seem productive for students who have spent an hour doing their hair, or feel awkward changing in front of others, this class provides positive ways of fighting obesity, releasing energy, retaining more academically, and learning discipline. Thus, students should be required to take physical education courses in high school.
Physical education should be a fun class, but fun does not have to mean chaos. I believe in a structure that will allow the students to have fun in a safe way. My lesson plans will be structured so that students are constantly engaged in physical activity. I feel that if I can keep students moving and learning, then the chances of misbehavior will decrease. In elementary school I feel that Instant Activities should be used to get students moving when they get into my class. High school is a little different. I feel that students at the secondary school level should be introduced physical fitness activities that will help keep them in shape later on in life.
“Physical education hopes to accomplish, to engage all students, not just the athlete elite, in fun activities that will instill a lifelong commitment to fitness.” (Johnson, 264). Physical education in the classroom can be a vital steeping stone to the way that teenagers think about fitness. Lifelong fitness is something that everyone should be guaranteed, it mainly depends on the experience that a teenager has. Like many other subjects in school, the
Physical education is defined nowadays as a “systematic instruction in sports, exercises, and hygiene given as part of a school or college program” (Park). When most people think of the term “physical education” they think of it as “a broad, inclusive term comprising the fields of physical education, health education, safety education, athletics, recreation, dance education, kinesiology and so on” (Zeigler 1). It may sometimes be referred to as physical training or gym class and mainly is taught in grades kindergarten all to the way up to your senior year in high-school in the United States. The history of physical education dates way back to the Greek and Roman times and has slowly evolved into what it is now today. There is a
The perspective of this paper is to develop a philosophy on physical education and then explain what kind of job we plan on having later on in life and relate physical education to that. The purpose for developing this philosophy is to try and get the most out of the people I’m working with on physical education, whether it is an adult or adolescent.
Physical Activity is undeniably good for everyone, not only does it keep you fit and healthy but when started at a young age, it can set up good habits for life. Sometimes however, people do not take care of their physical wellbeing, resulting in obesity and other eating disorders which can be detrimental to their health.
I am not one hundred percent positive, but I am pretty sure I want to major in Physical Education. There are many problems and dilemmas facing professionals in Physical Education. Problems range from poor facilities to kids not receiving proper treatment in the class. I think the biggest problem is the poor facilities.
From prehistoric times, stamina and strength were key to man's ability to find food and survive. As time went on, other ancient civilizations such as China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome adopted this practice known as phsycal education.
In the modern schools, too many elementary schools are so centered academics and don’t focus on the well-being of the students. The school systems also don’t realize that physical activity can help students perform better in the classrooms. In the recent years, there has been a worldwide tendency to reduce school-based physical education in favor of academic subjects. Given the beneficial effects of exercise and the disadvantages of a sedentary lifestyle, cutbacks in physical education lessons are not near as productive as people think. Systematic reviews provide clear