From the looks of things, anything can be taught online. Chesterfield County in Richmond, Virginia, is opening its online portals to students who want to earn their physical education (PE) credits online. The schools in this region have coordinated their requirements with local fitness centers and gymnasiums where the students can focus on the activities they are interested in.

Trained instructors form a regular part of the exercise routines of these students; they are responsible for reporting a student’s progress to the concerned authorities in the school.

Students are offered a variety of choices; they choose three “lifetime activities” that they have to work at, develop and improve. The online courses are optional, but more and more students are signing up for them two summers in a row – after their ninth and tenth grades.

Online study materials supplement the activity hours at the fitness training centers. Tests can also be taken entirely on the Internet.

Chesterfield County is one of a handful that are offering PE credits online. The county was in the news not so long ago when it was identified and honored as one of the six model school systems in the United States for online learning by the US Department of Education. No small honor this!