Distance-learning physical education taught surprising lessons

A year of distance-learning PE taught school leaders and teachers valuable lessons, according to a new report from The L.A. Trust, L.A. Unified and UCLA. 

Physical education was even more critical to students’ physical and emotional engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report funded by the L.A. Dodgers Foundation and published in the Journal of School Health. 

The report — Teachers’ and School Leaders’ Perspective on Distance Learning Physical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic — was a collaboration between UCLA, The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health and Los Angeles Unified. It was written by Dr. Rebecca Dudovitz, board member of The L.A. Trust and associate professor, David Geffen School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics at UCLA; Jocelyn Vilchez, Physical Education K-12 Specialist, Los Angeles Unified Division of Instruction; Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust; and John Kruse, director of physical education at LAUSD.  

Dudovitz said, “Many of the lessons learned during distance learning will enhance physical education moving forward, including a deeper focus on educational standards, emphasizing the integration of physical education into students’ daily lives, use of technology to enhance learning, and the importance of social-emotional learning as a core component of physical education.”   

Maryjane Puffer of The L.A. Trust said, “This report recognizes the creativity and hard work our students and physical education teachers put in during the pandemic. We know that PE is good for students — we must devote more time and invest more resources to this, especially in our under-served schools.” 

Speaking to experts 

Using purposive and snowball sampling, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 physical education teachers and school health experts across 21 California school districts on best practices for physical education via distance learning.  

Four major themes emerged, the report stated: Participants felt high-quality physical education via distance learning was both critical and possible; strategies for creating a successful distance learning environment included personalization, creativity and inclusiveness; and resources necessary for success included professional development, administrative support and equipment.  

“I was surprised that overwhelmingly, our participants felt that high-quality physical education was possible during distance learning, and (by) the real enthusiasm for creativity and new learning approaches the pandemic motivated,” Dudovitz said. But “many participants also described the unequal access to physical fitness many low-income students faced and the high need for social-emotional support. They also described feeling the physical education was often under-valued, relative to core academic subjects,” she added. 

The report’s bottom line: “Participants identified effective strategies, challenges, and recommendations for the future; felt optimistic about their ability to provide quality physical education via distance learning given the necessary supports; and perceived that they played a critical role in supporting student health during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Youth COVID-19 campaign will hit close to home

Students on The L.A. Trust COVID-19 Youth Task Force are developing a campaign to promote awareness and vaccination in Los Angeles. 

High school students from 16 different campuses have joined The L.A. Trust COVID-19 Youth Task Force to educate their communities about the dangers of the coronavirus and the importance of vaccination. For many — quarantined for a year and grieving lost loved ones — the effort is personal. 

“While all of our youth have been impacted one way or another, some of them are also grieving lost family members,” Nina Lee Tran, program manager for The L.A. Trust. “These youth applied to our Task Force and were selected to go through a rigorous and fast-paced program to learn more about COVID-19 and make a difference through their campaign.” 

The task force is funded by a grant from Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg (Sanberg’s grant was facilitated by Ethos Giving). The task force started work March 1 and will continue through the end of August. The students, ages 15 to 17, have a lot on their plate, including learning about COVID and developing community presentations and social media campaigns.  

Follow the task force on Instagram @covid_19ytf 

The students’ participation “reminds me that youth are eager to learn and impact their communities, even during the pandemic,” Tran said. 

Learning will be on two tracks: Students will become informed about the virus, the disease and vaccination, and will also become experts on communicating their message at community meetings and on social media. 

Learning from experts 

The 22 student members meet two hours per week and learn about COVID-19 from experts from UCLA, including Dr. Moira Inkelas, Dr. Vladimir Manuel and Dr. Jennifer B. Peralta. Topics include the biology and virology of COVID-19; understanding data and interpreting local testing and vaccination rates; and understanding vaccines. 

The second half of each weekly two-hour session will focus on campaign and presentation development. It will be led by Tran, Program Manager Esther Yepez of The L.A. Trust, and Sabrina Rodrigues, an MPH fellow from UCLA. 

High schools and charter schools represented on the task force are: Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School; Bell High School; Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy; Carson High School; Crenshaw High School; Girls Academic Leadership Academy; Huntington Park High School; Jordan High School; Locke High School; Manual Arts High School; San Pedro High School; South East High School; STEM Academy of Boyle Heights; STEM Academy of Hollywood; University Prep Value High School Charter; and West Adams High School.