WINTER SPRINGS, Florida—In the Sunshine State, students are expected to meet certain standards in physical education in order to graduate from high school. Most kids grumble their way through a traditional gym class to meet the requirement. But what about those who are homebound because of illness or teen pregnancy? Or isolated because they live in a rural area? Or too embarrassed because of weight or body issues to join a traditional P.E. class?

Thanks to teacher Dawn Towle, they can enroll in virtual P.E., a 15-week online class that's long on content and understanding of peer pressure.

More than 8,000 students from across the state take part in the interactive, Web-based physical education class that promotes wellness. Standards are high. Towle explains: "There are 30 written assignments and six physical assignments. To ensure that students complete the physical portion correctly, a workout log is validated by parents and submitted to the instructor."

The individualized pace appeals to many students. "They don't have to worry about failing a physical portion of the course in front of classmates," Towle says. "They don't feel pressured to run a mile in a certain time or feel humiliated if they can't do a pull-up." Instead, she says, the course "teaches them to set their own goals, achieve what they can now, and create a path toward meeting physical fitness goals."

Although they work independently, students are not isolated. Technology helps connect them with others in the virtual world. "The students have several interactive portions of the course where they chat with other students regarding prevention of injuries, stress management, and peer pressure," Towle explains. They visit Web sites to calculate their body mass index. Step-by-step photos are provided online to help students see how to perform exercises correctly, preventing both injury and confusion. She checks in by phone with each student once a month.

Towle's long-term aim is to help students acquire healthy habits for a lifetime. "My main goal is to enhance students' self-esteem and build on their awareness about the importance of physical fitness," she says. And she's hearing success stories. One boy's weight made him feel too humiliated to take a traditional gym class. His mother e-mailed Towle that the online class has helped him to make changes. "'He's lost 27 pounds,'" the mother reported. "'This online arena was a safe place for him to learn to eat healthy and to set goals to lose weight.'" The mother has even accompanied her son on his two-mile walks, "giving her an opportunity to get to know him better."

Students can access the online class from their homes, school computers, or public libraries. Towle works from her home, with technical support from a Web-based company.

"I love what I do," she adds. "I love the benefits it has for all my students," who range from upper-middle class to the lowest socioeconomic ranks in the state and speak a wide variety of languages. "And I love not leaving anyone out."